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Those responsible for farmer’s death will be booked, says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
The state government also responded to the Union ministry of home affairs advisory asking the Punjab government to take stringent action to prevent “disrupting activities” that are being held in the “guise of farmers’ protest”.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday asserted that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for the death of the youth.
Mann said that he had seen the video of the incident and “after investigation, an FIR will be registered against the people responsible for the death of the youth and exemplary punishment will be ensured.”
The state government also responded to the Union ministry of home affairs advisory asking the Punjab government to take stringent action to prevent “disrupting activities” that are being held in the “guise of farmers’ protest”.
Mann said that the state government is with the family of the deceased youth in this hour of crisis and they will be helped socially and economically.
Accusing the Union and Haryana governments of high-handedness, Mann said that he tried his level best to ensure that the farmers and youth did not face the bullets, water cannons and tear gas shells.
“For this, I acted as a bridge between the farmers and the Union government to arrive at some consensus but unfortunately it never happened. The farmers wanted to go to the national capital and lodge a peaceful protest but Haryana government stopped them forcefully,” Mann said.
Mann said that this is a grave insult to the farmers of the state who made the country self-reliant in food production.
“Instead of listening to the issues of the farmers, the Union government had turned a blind eye towards their genuine demands,” the CM said.
The chief minister said that had the centre been sincere about the grievances of the farmers then this situation would have never arisen.
Mann claimed that rumours are being spread that the Centre will impose President’s rule in the state. “I don’t care about such threats. I will sacrifice hundreds of posts. Don’t kill our farmers. Stop giving threats. Think about what is happening in Manipur and Nuh in Haryana. I am firmly standing with my farmers,” Mann said.
Mann said that to provide immediate health services to the agitating farmers the state government has deployed ambulances and vehicles of the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) at the site. “Health minister Dr Balbir will oversee functioning at Patiala, while minister Dr Baljit Kaur will be stationed at Patran and Khanauri, whereas MLA Dr Charanjit Singh Channi will be stationed at Rajpura hospital,” he said.
‘Wrong to say Punjab allowed farmers to gather at borders’
The Punjab government on Wednesday told the central government that it was ‘wrong’ to say that it is allowing people to assemble at Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Replying to an advisory from the Union ministry of home affairs asking the state government to maintain law and order in the wake of the farmer’s stir, Punjab chief secretary Anurag Verma wrote that despite over 160 people having been injured due to the use of tear gas shells, rubber bullets and drones by the Haryana Police, the state government has maintained law and order with ‘responsibility’.
The chief secretary, according to sources, has conveyed that the farmers were headed to Delhi to hold a protest and were at the Punjab-Haryana border due to the restrictions imposed on their movement. He has also informed the central ministry about the important role played by the Punjab government in talks between the farmer leaders and central ministers, pointing out that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had attended three of the four meetings. The chief secretary also stressed the need to show more sympathy towards the farmers and handle the situation in a more sensitive manner as Punjab is a border state, said sources. The letter said that 2,000 police personnel, including DIG-rank IPS and PPS officers, are working to maintain law and order.
Asserting that the ongoing agitation of farmers has been handled in a very apt and diligent manner in the state, the chief secretary also strongly refuted the allegations that the law and order in the state has deteriorated. “Regular parleys are on between the state officials and the farm leaders for dispersal of crowds at the border. There is no specific information of miscreants/lawbreakers in the guise of protestors which is available with the police in a definite form,” he added.
The chief secretary said that internal reports are being gathered in respect of such elements to take suitable and proper action as and where required.
