Fazilk: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to link the agitation against the farm laws with any religion or community and said he should instead focus on giving justice to farmers.
The SAD chief told reporters here that farmers are on one platform against the Centre’s three contentious agricultural laws.
We should all be clear that farmers are fighting for the welfare of the ‘annadaata’ at large and we should not try to divide this struggle by trying to limit it to one religion or community, Badal appealed to the PM while adding that he should instead focus on ensuring justice to farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had slammed those abusing agitating Sikh farmers, saying it won’t do the country any good as he went on to appeal to the protesting farmers to withdraw their over two-month-long stir and give the new agriculture reform laws a chance.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at the Delhi borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of three farm laws.
The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was here to address ward-level meetings ahead of the the February 14 civic body polls in the state, also slammed the ruling Congress, accusing it of unleashing goondaism. He urged the SAD workers to be resolute and ensure the victory of Akali candidates.
He alleged that even though there was a complete collapse of the law and order and the State Election Commission (SEC) had abrogated its constitutional duty, the SAD will not be cowed down by such tactics .
He said the officers who murdered democracy and its institutions at the instance of the Congress party will be taken to task once the SAD formed a government in the state.
Meanwhile, the SAD complained to the State Election Commission (SEC) regarding alleged changing of wards of many voters in Batala and urged it to immediately take action.
In a complaint, SAD’s senior vice-president and spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said it is forwarding a complaint in this regard from MLA Batala Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, in which he has mentioned how the ruling party is trying to change wards of several hundred voters even after allotment of election symbol to the candidates.
Also read: Modi once ruled political optics. Farmers’ protests now pose massive PR challenge
Haven’t we heard this kind of talk before? Don’t link protests with any religion. “Terrorism has no religion” etc. I am afraid, Sikhs are becoming the new Muslims of India. Holding up minority mindset for everyone to see.
There are enough nut cases who are linking the agitation to different groups to make it sensational. In absence of any specific demands other than repeal of the laws, to sell the demand, links are sought to be established with different communities and even with defense personnel as being the sons of farmers. Two oxford educated notables even tried to establish a link between the Punjabis and Gujratis to reveal their frustration at being sidelined.
The agitation will not get traction with people other than their own no matter the amount of money spent on sustaining it. Just an insistence on repeal by a small unreasonable and even at times violent numbers without a convincing why is unlikely to get the support they seek.
The problem seems to be difficulty in laying bare the real reasons, so try every other trick in the trade.
IT WILL BE LIKE MAKING TIKAIT THE NEXT PM,
Mo Dhaliwal is responsible for linking the farm protests with Sikh religion.