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Won’t allow land ‘grab’: Warring at protest against land pooling policy
They (state government) want to take away land worth ₹100 and return land worth only ₹25, says PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring; Ashu, Channi, Pargat Singh skip protest
The Congress would oppose the state government’s land pooling policy with its all might, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said while addressing a gathering during a protest outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office in Ludhiana on Saturday. Thousands of Congress workers participated in the massive protest in which former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, senior leader and MLA Pargat Singh and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu were conspicuous by their absence.
Warring, who arrived on a tractor, accused the AAP government of trying to “loot” farmers’ land. Terming it a land “looting” policy, Warring said the Congress would never allow the AAP-led government to go ahead with this move. He accused the state government of moving to acquire nearly 50,000 acres of farmland on Ludhiana’s outskirts without the consent of or compensation to landowners. “This is not land pooling. It’s outright land snatching. They want to take away land worth ₹100 and return land worth only ₹25,” he said.
Referring to the CM, he said, “Mann should empathise with the concerns of those whose livelihoods depend on land.” The protesters, many of them carrying placards and raising slogans against the AAP government, also submitted a memorandum to the GLADA chief administrator, addressed to the chief minister, demanding immediate rollback of the notification related to the land pooling scheme.
Warring compared the current movement to the historic farmers’ protest against the central government’s three farm laws.
He recalled the land acquisition law passed by the UPA government under the prime ministership of Dr Manmohan Singh that mandated “farmer’s consent and fair compensation”.
Former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi and MLA Pargat Singh were absent. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa took a dig at the absentees, asserting, “Those who did not show up today have no love for the Congress party.”
Ashu denied any knowledge of the protest. “I did not receive any invitation or information about the protest. Those who were informed participated. I wasn’t contacted by anyone,” said Ashu.
Tensions between Warring and Ashu have been simmering since the by-election campaign. Warring’s minimal participation during Ashu’s campaign—restricted to only filing nomination papers—had drawn public criticism from Ashu. Ashu had previously stated, “This was not my personal event that I had to extend personal invitations. I was the party’s candidate. Those who joined the campaign didn’t wait for invitations.”
Following his defeat in the Ludhiana West by-election, Ashu resigned from his position as PPCC working president.
SAD protest rescheduled for July 22
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has postponed its planned protest in Ludhiana, which was to be held under the leadership of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, citing inclement weather conditions. The protest, initially scheduled for today, will now take place on July 22 outside the GLADA office.
Party vice president Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said that due to heavy rains, the protest has been deferred in the interest of public safety and logistical concerns.
