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Give up stubbornness, talk to farmers: Punjab CM Mann to Centre
Farmers led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for meting out ‘step-motherly treatment to the farmers by not giving them an opportunity to air their genuine demands.’
In a post on X, Mann said the central government should give up its ‘stubbornness’ and open the way for talks with the farmer organisations.
“If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can’t he talk to the farmers sitting 200 kilometres away (from Delhi)? What time are you waiting for?” Mann said in a post.
Later in a statement, Mann added that the Union government has been ‘blatantly’ ignoring the genuine demands of the farmers of the country which is highly deplorable.
Farmers led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border since November 26 and his condition is said to be ‘critical’.
The chief minister reminded the PM that when the country was facing a serious crisis of food production the hardworking and resilient farmers of the state had made the country self-reliant in grains.
“It is unfortunate that the prime minister is more worried about emerging as ‘global leader’ by intervening in international affairs rather than resolving the issues faced by the countrymen,” the AAP leader said.
He said that the Centre should not wait for any special moment to talk to the farmers, “rather it should embrace the farmers and redress their grievances”.
“It is strange that the Union government is not ready to talk to farmers sitting 200 kilometres away from the national capital,” he further said in the statement.
Mann said it is the need of the hour that the issues of the farmers are addressed at the earliest in the larger public interest.
On December 19 too, Mann urged the Centre to hold talks with the protesting farmers. He had said any issue could be resolved through dialogue.
