Extending his government’s full support to the farmers in these ‘dark and difficult times’, Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday assured of all possible legal and other steps to fight the farm bills, including a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to discuss and decide the way forward.
Chairing a meeting with representatives of 31 farmer unions, he said he would discuss the issue with his legal team to finalise the next steps, including challenging the farm laws in the Supreme Court.
“We will take all possible steps to counter the Union Government’s assault on the State’s federal and Constitutional rights, and fight for the interests of the farmers,” said Captain Amarinder.
“If the legal experts advise amendment to the state laws to fight the central laws, a special session of the Vidhan Sabha will be immediately called to do so”, he said.
He made it clear that the government had no qualms about convening an Assembly session if that was the best course in the circumstances.
“If the new laws are implemented, it will be the end of agriculture”, he said. The Mandis that have existed and worked well for more than 60 years will be wiped out, and with MSP also ending, wheat will be sold the same way as maize currently is – at much lower prices than dictated by the MSP, he added.
Besides farmer representatives, AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat attended the meeting, along with Cabinet Ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and Advocate General Atul Nanda.
