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Will not ‘forcibly’ evict Dallewal from protest site: Punjab CM
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also questioned Centre’s ‘reluctance’ to have a dialogue with the farmers to redress their grievances
Hours after the Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the Union and Punjab governments for their inaction in addressing the prolonged hunger strike of Jagjit Singh Dallewal and the farmers’ protest, chief minister Bhagwant Mann claimed the Centre wanted the farmer leader evicted from the protest site.
“Centre wants him evicted from there (current protest site). Why?” Mann said, adding, “They (farmers) are not getting violent. There is no build-up of any tension. They are sitting in Punjab.”
Mann said he spoke to Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26 at Khanauri, and “urged him to end his fast but the Union government has not made any effort to assuage the sentiments of food growers.”
Mann wondered why the Centre was reluctant to have a dialogue with the farmers.
“All demands of the farmers pertain to the Centre, whether they come from the two forums leading the ongoing agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders or from other farmers’ unions. The demands are the same, even though the farm unions may differ,” Mann said.
“Why does the Centre not invite farmers for a dialogue?” he asked.
Mann said instead of making any effort to redress the grievances of the farmers, the Union government is trying to fix the responsibility on the farmers.
The CM said the central government should give up its ‘stubborn attitude’ and hold dialogue with them.
“Dallewal’s fast has entered its 38th day, but they (Centre) don’t care...I want to tell the Centre that open a way for talks,” Mann said.
He said the Punjab government made several efforts in the past to bring the Centre to the table for a talk, but in vain.
He also said it is the Punjab government’s responsibility to take care of Dallewal’s health.
“We are discharging this responsibility. Fifty doctors are on duty at Khanauri where Dallewal’s dharna is going on. Barely 500 metres away we have set up a makeshift hospital,” he said.
CM said the state government is implementing the orders of the Supreme Court to save the precious lives of the farmers. “Paradoxically, the issues of farmers are concerned with the centre, Haryana is using force on farmers and Punjab is being made accountable for that,” said the CM.
The CM said that Punjab neither needs air ambulance nor extra force to tackle farmers’ agitation.
He said that the hard-earned peace of the state should be maintained by all means.
Agriculture is a state subject but the Union government is trying to thrust its decision on the state which is unjustified, the CM said.
On Wednesday, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government will act as per instructions by the Supreme Court on the farmers’ protest.
Reacting to the statement, Mann said: “Do they do everything by Supreme Court orders? They are just running away.”
On the recent Punjab bandh, Mann said, “I appeal to farmers unions that they should not take such decisions which affect lives of common people. They called for Punjab bandh. It inconvenienced people, trains, and buses came to a halt.” “It caused a loss of ₹100 crore to the state for one day. How does it impact ‘Dilliwalas?’” he asked.
