The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized a significant protest in Chandigarh on Wednesday, targeting the central BJP government over the slow procurement of paddy and the failure to lift old grains from Punjab’s markets.
As AAP leaders prepared to surround the BJP office in Chandigarh, police detained them and used water cannons to disperse the crowd. This led to clashes between AAP leaders and the police, during which Minister Harjot Bains’s turban was knocked off, escalating tensions. In response, AAP leaders chanted slogans against the Chandigarh police and the central government.
The protest featured several AAP ministers, including Harjot Singh Bains, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Tarun Preet Singh Sondh, and others, along with numerous party workers and supporters.
During the demonstration, senior party leader Harbhajan Singh ETO addressed the crowd, highlighting that paddy usually arrives in markets every October. This year, he claimed the central government intentionally failed to lift old grains from storage, causing an overflow of paddy in the markets. ETO expressed concern for farmers, traders, sheller owners, and laborers, stating that the central government was ignoring their plight.
He criticized BJP leaders for spreading falsehoods to cover up their own failures and pointed out that the Punjab government had been in communication with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for months, with no action taken. ETO affirmed that the protest was in support of farmers and against the central government, pledging to fight for their rights.
Minister Harjot Bains emphasized that the central government has consistently wronged Punjab. He stated that he was present not just as a minister or party member, but as a farmer’s son. Bains lamented that while the rest of the country celebrates Diwali, Punjab’s farmers are struggling in the markets, having stood against the BJP’s controversial agricultural laws.
He expressed deep sorrow over the incident with the police, particularly about the loss of his turban, which he felt symbolized a greater disrespect. He quoted Guru Gobind Singh Ji, asserting that both oppression and enduring oppression are wrong, and vowed to continue their struggle until a resolution is found.
Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar drew parallels between the treatment of Punjab by Indira Gandhi 40 years ago and the current actions of Narendra Modi and the BJP. He accused the central government of deliberately creating difficulties for the state, citing delays in the release of funds and slow procurement processes.
Bhullar claimed that the Modi government was conspiring to undermine Punjab’s farmers and the AAP, but he believed that the people of Punjab were aware of the BJP’s tactics. He noted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was actively monitoring the situation and ensuring timely payments to farmers.
Minister Tarun Preet Singh Sondh condemned the police’s actions, labeling them as an attack by the BJP on peaceful protesters exercising their democratic rights. He criticized the central government for its lack of intent to resolve the issues and reaffirmed AAP’s commitment to support Punjab’s farmers.