Cong wants PM to spell out Anandpur Sahib visit agenda

Saturday, 06/06/2015

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Chandigarh : Even though Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has clarified that he will not raise any demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits Anandpur Sahib on June 19, the main Opposition Congress party on Friday demanded that Modi should spell out his agenda for his forthcoming Punjab visit. “Modi should ensure that interests of state farmers are protected and their woes are mitigated by the NDA government at the Centre. We want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi what he will give to farmers of Punjab when he comes to Anandpur Sahib on June 19,” Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said here.

Addressing a press conference, he insisted that Prime Minister should ensure during his Punjab visit how to mitigate the woes of debt-ridden farmers of Punjab particularly in the wake of rising number of suicide cases among the crop growers. Bajwa claimed: “Of late, the trend of suicides by farmers has picked up in the state which is a very serious issue.” On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced that he would not put any demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be visiting Punjab for the commemoration of 350th year of Anandpur Sahib on June 19. Modi had given his consent to attend the gala event on June 19 on the request of Badal.

Bajwa demanded that relief should be announced for debt-ridden growers of Punjab. “If Modi can give USD 1 billion for Mongolia, then why you cannot announce any relief for growers,” he asked. Bajwa also sought from the BJP-led government to ensure that farmers’ paddy crop be lifted during Kharif season as they are in a state of confusion over which variety to be sown. “It should be ensured that farmers who are sowing paddy crop this season that their crop will be lifted. It should also be made clear as to which variety should be sown by paddy growers so that they do not face any problem in selling in the mandis,” he said.

The defeated Gurdaspur MP also raised the issue of Sikh farmers in Gujarat who had been farming for last several years allegedly being evicted out of that state. “We want to ask Modi whether land ownership of Sikh farmers who were evicted by Gujarat government from Kutch district would be restored,” he said. Bajwa condemned the killing of a Sikh youth in Jammu, saying police should not fire on protesting people. “Police should fire rather rubber bullets to control the situation and they should be given training in this regard,” he said. On Friday, a youth was killed and seven people, including three policemen, were injured in clashes between police and a group of Sikh youth who were protesting against removal of posters of slain Khalistani militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Jammu city. To a query regarding the 31st anniversary of Operation Bluestar on Saturday, Bajwa said hard-earned peace had to be maintained in the state.

PPCC SECRETARY MEHTA SUSPENDED
Bajwa said he has suspended party secretary Parminder Mehta from Ludhiana with immediate effect for his alleged “inflammatory utterances.” Stating that the party had nothing to do with Mehta’s utterances, he said it appeared that Mehta was “airing provocative views at somebody’s behest to deliberately vitiate atmosphere in the state.”