Captain men join hands, hold protest on farmers’ issues
Sunday, 05/04/2015
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BATHINDA: Amid the ongoing war within the state Congress, former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s loyalists in the party seem to be coming together under the banner of the Jat Maha Sabha (JMS), led by the Captain.
The JMS held a protest march here on Saturday to raise the issues of farmers. The march was led by the district president of the JMS Avtar Singh Dhaliwal. Amarinder Singh’s loyalists, including former MLA and Malwa zone Congress vice-president Gurpreet Singh Kangar and former Dalit Congress MLA Makhan Singh also joined the protest. Junior to both in the Congress, Avtar Singh is a member of the party’s executive committee.
Kangar and Makhan hold no posts in the JMS, but they were also present in the protest. It is interesting to note that all the JMS leaders in the region come from the Congress and many of them also hold positions in the party. When asked if Dalit leader Makhan Singh was also part of the JMS, Dhaliwal said, “He has a fighting spirit and often joins us in such agitations.”
About the absence of another Dalit leader and Congress MLA from Bhuchho Ajaib Singh Bhatti in the dharna, Dhaliwal said, “Bhatti was busy in the marriage of a relative.” Bhatti is also a hardcore Captain loyalist.
“There are many burning issues concerning farmers. Potato prices are sinking. Waters of Punjab are again in danger as the state government is compromising Punjab’s interests under pressure from the Modi government. Efforts are on to enforce the anti-farmer land ordinance. The Modi government is also running away from implementing the Swaminathan Commission report despite the promise in the election manifesto,” said Dhaliwal.
He said, “We held the protest on the instructions of state president of JMS Kushaldeep Singh Dhilllon.” Kushaldeep is also a loyalist of Captain Amarinder Singh.
