Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab state unit president and MP Bhagwant Mann, along with party MLAs, volunteers and senior leaders, observed a hunger strike on Monday in response to the nationwide protest call given by the farmers against the Centre’s farm laws. At the same time, various party MLAs and local leaders took active part in the district level farmers’ protests in the state. Captain Amarinder Singh, however, said that Kejriwal “will sell your soul if it serves your purpose”.
Kejriwal said that the AAP is with the farmers and their struggle in full spirits. He said: “We will die for the farmers of this country, but we will not bow down to anyone’s pressure.” Kejriwal appealed to the Central government that the simple demands of the farmers be met and the Central farm laws be revoked, and, legal guarantee on the purchase of MSP be provided.
In a statement issued from party headquarters on Monday, Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said that to send a strong message to the Union government in support of the protesting farmers, party’s National Convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, MP Bhagwant Mann, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Punjab Affairs In-charge Jarnail Singh, along with all MLAs and Rajya Sabha members, went on a hunger strike in Delhi, whereas he (Cheema) himself sat on hunger strike, along with MLAs and other leaders in Chandigarh, in solidarity with the farmers.
The Deputy Leader of Opposition Sarabjit Kaur Manuke participated in farmers’ “dharna” at Ludhiana, MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur at Bathinda, MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan at Faridkot, MLA Principal Budhram at Mansa and MLA Jai Krishan Singh Rouri at Hoshiarpur participated at the district level farmers’ dharna with local leaders and volunteers.
Cheema said that the Modi government wanted to torpedo the peasant movement before it reached any conclusive end, by converting the nine stadia in Delhi into temporary jails for the protesting farmers, but Kejriwal foiled the attempt by flatly refusing the proposal, and supported the cause of the farmers fighting the big battle for survival and sustenance and stood rock solid with their movement, following which the Modi government was daggers drawn with the Kejriwal-led Delhi government.
Cheema said that both the Congress and the Akali Dal had been acting as the “B” team of the ruling BJP and were trying to weaken the farmers’ movement, by siding with the corporate houses. The LoP further said that the Congress had given a proof of this by holding a separate rally at the Sambhu border on Monday, adding that the farmers had been sitting on “dharnas” at the Sambhu border for the last two months, questioning that where the captain was then.
However, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday said that Kejriwal’s desperate attempts to hide his government’s utter failure to protect the famers’ interests will not save him from their wrath, nor will they safeguard his party from being decimated in the next Punjab Assembly elections.
“Just as every Punjabi knows that I am not one to be cowed down by any amount of false ED or other cases, they also know that you will sell your soul if it serves your purpose,” the Chief Minister said, in a resounding response to Kejriwal’s allegations and accusations against him (Captain Amarinder).
Daring his Delhi counterpart to cite even a single instance when he (Captain Amarinder) backed off under pressure of ED or any other agency, the Punjab Chief Minister pointed out that from Operation Bluestar to SYL and now to the farm laws issue, he had always done the right thing by his people, in sharp contrast to Kejriwal, whom the whole of Punjab had seen cringing in fear in the face of a minor defamation case and the whole of Delhi had seen begging the Centre for help amid the pandemic.