Won’t use force against farmers, says Punjab CM
CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the crucial Kisan Mahapanchayat of farmers fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has made an emotional appeal to the farmers to reach in large numbers at Khanauri border to attend the Mahapanchayat.
“I want to see all the farmers at Khanuari border on January 4, I appeal all of you to reach here in large numbers”, said Dallewal, who is on fast unto death since November 26.
The Kisan Mahapanchayat is being considered as a show of strength by the farmer leaders as the agitation to complete 11 months on February 13.
Amid pressure from the Supreme Court to provide medical assistance to Dallewal Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has made it clear that the Punjab government would not use any force to move the farmer leader to the hospital from the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Mann alleged that the union government wants Dallewal to be shifted from the protest site forcibly leading to a confrontation between farmers and Punjab government so that it could get political benefit in Delhi assembly elections.
“While the BJP government in Haryana is using water cannon and tear gas on farmers, the BJP-ruled Centre has not held any talks with them since the talks were suspended in February last year. But the centre expect the Punjab government to take action against the farmers even though their demands fall under the Centre’s jurisdiction”, he said adding that Punjab has seen enough bloodshed in the past, the Punjab government was not willing to worsen the situation by using force.
Bhagwant Mann’s reaction came following repeated rebukes by the Supreme Court to Punjab government for failing to comply with its directive to shift Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 38 days.