Why Capt Amarinder’s visit to grain market charged up Punjab’s already tense paddy politics

Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh’s visit to the Khanna grain market on Friday to assess the paddy procurement has created ripples in Punjab’s already charged political scene.

This is not because the paddy procurement is tardy and the state’s Aam Aadmi Party government has been facing flak over the issue, but because he is still seen by farmers as a Chief Minister in whose nine-year tenure there were no problems in wheat and paddy procurement. Farmers recall how they did not have to languish in the mandis and the payments too were smooth.

In fact, during his tenure, the food grain movement from the godowns of Punjab to other recipient states would begin much early, ensuring that there was no foodgrain storage crisis.

Even during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Capt Amarinder, as the Chief Minister, managed to ensure that each and every grain was procured. The arrivals were then staggered to ensure that there was no overcrowding in mandis and 132.22 LMT of wheat and 202.78 LMT of paddy was procured.

Comparatively, during the Akali-BJP regime, several issues marred the foodgrain production and procurement, even though the Akali-BJP government was considered to be a pro-farmer government. These included the issue of discoloured paddy produced in 2000, which the FCI had initially refused to accept, but accepted later after relaxing specifications; the issue of paddy 201 variety not being accepted for procurement in 2009.

Capt Amarinder Singh is a now a BJP leader, and with the BJP being blamed for the ongoing paddy crisis by the AAP government, he has taken the challenge head-on, by visiting the mandi and interacting directly with farmers. Being amongst the tallest politicians in Punjab, he has chosen the right moment to re-enter the political arena, after a long hiatus due to his ill-health.

Captain's political career has ended: AAP  

Reacting to Captain Amarinder’s visit to Khanna grain market, senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that Singh often meets with Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but why has he never raised the issues of Punjab's farmers and commission agents in front of them?

Cheema stated that Captain's political career has ended. Since the public has rejected him, he is now pretending to show sympathy for farmers by visiting the mandis. He mentioned that the people of Punjab know that the entire problem has been created by the central government. The central government has not lifted rice from warehouses on time and has not listened to the concerns of the millers and commission agents, causing distress to farmers and arhtiyas in Punjab.

“Captain Amarinder Singh's party (BJP) hates Punjab. They hate the farmers and commission agents of Punjab, and that is why they are deliberately harassing them. Captain knows that the central government has withheld thousands of crores from various funds meant for Punjab. The central government has been holding back RDP, MDF, and NHM funds for years, but Captain has never raised these issues before the centre,” he said.