Chandigarh, Oct 24 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Saturday slammed the BJP and Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa for allegedly attempting to defame Punjab and its farmers through false claims over stubble burning.
The AAP further alleged that the BJP’s anti-farmer mindset stood exposed “as its leaders continued demanding cases against farmers instead of acknowledging the state’s efforts”.
Punjab Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema and AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu said the Bhagwant Mann-led government had consistently supported farmers through machinery, awareness campaigns and practical stubble management measures, with machinery worth more than Rs 800 crore provided to farmers.
Cheema alleged the BJP has always been an anti-farmer party. He claimed their leaders have repeatedly demanded that cases be registered against farmers, exposing their anti-farmer mindset.
Instead of supporting those who feed the nation, the BJP is trying to threaten and malign them, he alleged.
The minister said the Punjab government had been procuring stubble management machinery and providing it to farmers for the past five years. These sustained efforts, along with awareness campaigns, had brought stubble-burning incidents in Punjab down to negligible levels, he said.
“Punjab’s farmers are not burning stubble on the scale being portrayed by BJP leaders. The government has continuously provided machinery and made farmers aware of scientific stubble management practices. Even if an isolated incident occurs somewhere, it cannot be portrayed as widespread stubble burning across the state,” he said.
In a post on X in Hindi and Punjabi on Friday, Sirsa took a swipe at AAP, saying, “When the AAP government was in power in Delhi, everyone was responsible for Punjab’s stubble, except them. Now the AAP government is in Punjab too, and the fires are raging even more than before. This isn’t helplessness… It’s the AAP government’s incompetence. Delhi is still choking today.”
Cheema advised Sirsa and other BJP leaders to stop making false allegations against Punjab and instead address the situation in BJP-ruled neighbouring states, including Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Baltej Pannu alleged BJP leaders have resorted to cheap politics by targeting farmers even before paddy harvesting had properly gathered pace.
He pointed out that recent rainfall had delayed harvesting and the process was yet to gain momentum, but BJP leaders had already started creating a controversy over smoke supposedly reaching Delhi from Punjab.
“Paddy harvesting has not even gathered momentum, yet BJP leaders have started creating a drama about smoke reaching Delhi from Punjab. If fires have not even started on the scale being claimed, how has the smoke bypassed Haryana and reached Delhi directly? Is there some pipeline carrying smoke from Punjab to Delhi?” Pannu said
Punjab’s progress in reducing stubble burning had also been acknowledged in Parliament, where a reduction of up to 80 per cent in stubble burning was noted last year.
He said the Punjab government had provided farmers with machinery worth more than Rs 800 crore to manage paddy residue, demonstrating its commitment to tackling the issue through practical support rather than threats and punitive measures.
“Despite Punjab’s significant reduction in stubble burning and the government’s sustained investment in machinery, BJP leaders continue to target our farmers. Instead of appreciating the progress made, they are choosing to pursue political propaganda against Punjab,” Baltej Pannu said.
Pannu warned that attempts to malign Punjab by branding it a state of “drug addicts” or “polluters” must stop immediately.
He said such narratives insulted the people of Punjab and disregarded the immense contribution made by the state’s farmers towards feeding the entire nation. Punjab’s farmers work tirelessly to ensure food security for the country. They deserve support, practical solutions and respect, not political attacks and attempts to tarnish the state’s image, he said. PTI SUN NB
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