Punjab CM Amarinder Singh urges farmers to accept Amit Shah’s appeal

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday urged farmers to accept Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s appeal and shift to the designated place for their protest, thus paving the way for early talks to resolve their issues.

Amid reports of Amit Shah’s offer to hold discussions with farmers at the earliest, Amarinder Singh said it is in the best interest of the farming community and the nation at large.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday appealed to the farmers to shift to the Burari ground in the national capital to stage their protest and said the Centre is ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place.

Shah’s offer to advance talks with farmers from December 3 and his statement reflecting the Centre’s willingness to listen to the farmers is a welcome step, said the CM in a statement here.

He said the only solution to the current stalemate over the farm laws issue is discussion. Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre’s new farms laws stayed put at the Singhu and Tikri borders with the national capital for the third consecutive day on Saturday amid heavy police presence even after being offered the Sant Nirankari ground in Burari to hold peaceful demonstrations.

Since the home minister has made it clear that the Centre is “ready to deliberate on every problem and demand” of the farmers and will hold talks the day after they shifted to the designated site in Delhi, the farmer leaders should also move forward, said the CM.

Only by sitting across the table can both sides come to a solution to the problem, he added.

Pointing out that the purpose of their protest was not to block highways and inconvenience people but to pressure the Union government to listen to their voice, said the CM.

The farmers have already won half the battle by bringing the Union government to the negotiating table without further delay. In the circumstances, they should grab the Union home minister’s offer and make the most of the opportunity to resolve the crisis triggered by the Union laws, said Amarinder Singh.

He and his government are prepared to extend their full support to these negotiations and were willing to mediate in the collective interest of all, Amarinder Singh reiterated.