The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday suspended Haryana BKU leader Gurnam Singh Charuni for seven days for suggesting that Punjab farmer outfits involved in the stir against the Centre’s farm laws should contest the State Assembly polls next year.
The SKM is an umbrella body of various farmer unions protesting the Centre’s farm laws.
Addressing a press conference near the Singhu border protest site, senior SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said Mr. Charuni was making statements regarding his ‘mission Punjab’ despite being told not to do it on several occasions.
“At present we are fighting (against the Centre’s farm laws). We are not doing any politics,” said Mr. Rajewal.
“For this, today we decided to suspend him for seven days. He will not be able to issue any statement or share stage. These restrictions have been imposed on him,” said Mr. Rajewal, who is also president of the BKU (Rajewal).
Further replying to a question, Mr. Rajewal said Mr. Charuni had been telling the Punjab farmers unions leaders to take a political route.
“We had been telling him that we have no such programme. Later, the Punjab leaders complained about his statements and on Tuesday, a meeting was held. Today, the general house (of the Morcha) suspended him for seven days,” he said.
A week ago, Haryana BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni had said that the outfits from Punjab involved in the agitation against the new agriculture laws should contest the Punjab Assembly elections as it will “present a model on how the system can be changed”.
Mr. Charuni, a key leader of the SKM, which is spearheading the farmers’ stir, had earlier said, “What I want to say is that we should not run '’Mission U.P., but Mission Punjab’.”
