Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sought an apology from Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, accusing him of giving a misleading statement regarding the State’s stand on the farm ordinances in Parliament.
Referring to Mr. Danve’s statement in the Lok Sabha on September 14 about Punjab being on board regarding the farm ordinances, Captain Amarinder said the remarks of the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution were aimed at defaming the Congress and its government in the State.
The Chief Minister said in a statement that at no point did the high-power committee make any suggestion about bringing these “anti-farmers ordinances”, which the Centre introduced amid the pandemic and has now placed in Parliament for enactment.
“The Minister should apologise immediately,” said Capt. Amarinder. He said his government has consistently and persistently opposed any move to dilute the rights and interests of farmers not only in the high-power committee on agricultural reforms but in the State Assembly and on all public forums.
Capt. Amarinder also said the presentation of the ordinances in Parliament had totally exposed the farce of Shiromani Akali Dal’s pretence of protecting the interests of the farmers of Punjab.
‘Akali Dal exposed’
“With the BJP-led NDA government going ahead with laying the ordinances on the table of the House on the very first day of the Parliament session, instead of accepting SAD’s so-called plea to defer the same, the Akali charade on the issue had been laid bare,” said the Chief Minister.
“The fact that Sukhbir Singh Badal had stayed away from the House on Monday, when the ordinances were presented for legislation, showed that the entire drama of seeking postponement of their enactment was played out by the SAD chief to appease the farmer organisations, which have been up in arms against the ordinances,” he added.
