Ravneet Bittu likens farm leaders to Taliban

Minister of State and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu today drew a parallel between Punjab farm leaders and the Taliban, and said a probe would be carried out to ascertain their assets.

Replying to a query on protests against the BJP over tardy lifting of paddy and shortage of DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertiliser in the state, Bittu said: “Fertiliser has to go to farmers, but they (farm leaders) are dictating where it will go. You have become Taliban. You will have to stop somewhere.”

Why no investigation in 11 years

The BJP has been in power at the Centre for 11 years. Who is stopping Bittu from carrying out a probe? We aren’t scared and will keep holding protests in farmers’ favour. Sarwan Singh Pandher, farm leader

Here to pay obeisance at historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the minister claimed many of these farm leaders were either commission agents or rice mill owners. “After the bypoll, it will be investigated as to how much land they owned before becoming farm leaders and now. Who among them is not a commission agent or doesn’t have a rice mill?

How will they speak?” Asserting that ordinary farmers were not part of the protests, Bittu said: “The farmers are naive. They are not into such things... In the coming days, you will see farmers will vote for the BJP. The farmers know that the Centre can improve the situation.

Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher reacted sharply to the minister’s remark, saying: “There is an acute shortage of DAP in the state and rice is yet to be lifted from mills. The BJP is cornered. When Bittu was in the Congress, he used to speak in favour of the farmers. He is targeting us now. This is the result of the training he has received from Nagpur (RSS headquarters),” he added.