Jalandhar, Feb 19
Senior Congress leader and MLA from Bhullath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, today strongly condemned the brutal use of force by Punjab Police on farmers of BKU (Ugrahan) who were protesting peacefully, terming it a shameful and unconstitutional attack on the democratic rights of the farming community.
Khaira said it is extremely regrettable that instead of holding talks on the farmers’ legitimate demands and finding solutions to their real problems, the government led by Bhagwant Mann has resorted to lathi charges, arrests, and intimidation. He stated, “This action exposes the anti-farmer mindset and intentions of the Aam Aadmi Party government, which has betrayed the farming class that forms the backbone of Punjab’s economy.”
He further alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is working on the directions of his supreme leader Arvind Kejriwal sitting in Delhi and is adopting suppressive tactics to silence dissenting voices. Khaira said, “The Aam Aadmi Party government’s growing tendency to crush democratic protests reflects its intolerance and dictatorial attitude.”
Khaira said that the repeated police excesses against various protesting organizations, including teachers, farmers, and other employee unions in recent times, clearly indicates that the Aam Aadmi Party government has turned Punjab into a police state, where no one is being allowed the freedom to criticize the government or express dissent. He said, “Suppressing the voices of peaceful and legitimate protests through force is dangerous for democracy and weakens the constitutional rights of peaceful movements.”
Khaira emphatically stated that Punjab has a proud tradition of farmers’ movements, and any attempt to crush peaceful protests with police force will further increase anger and distrust in the farming community. He said, “Farmers are not criminals; they are our annadatas (food providers), and they should be treated with respect, justice, and meaningful dialogue, not lathis and barricades.”
The MLA from Bhullath demanded that all arrested farmers be released immediately, all cases registered against them be withdrawn at once, and the government initiate a constructive and serious dialogue process at the earliest to resolve their issues.
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