Chandigarh, March 21 (IANS) Calling it AAP’s deep-rooted conspiracy to humiliate farmers in Punjab, state BJP President Sunil Jakhar on Friday said it was at the behest of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that the state was held to ransom and allowed to bleed financially and economically for 400 days for a sit-in protest.
“The Chief Minister is solely responsible for pushing Punjab down the path of economic instability by first propping up a set of so-called fake farm leaders whose only aim was to settle their inflated egos and they had no concern for farmer welfare,” Jakhar told the media here.
He questioned the government that “if Shambhu and Khanauri border could be vacated yesterday without a semblance of protest by such farm leaders, why let Punjab bleed and suffer loss of lives and revenue for 400 days”.
“It was Bhagwant Mann who forced farmers to first sit on dharna when it suited AAP during Lok Sabha elections, and now it is the same Bhagwant Mann who is trying to take credit for vacating Shambhu and Khanauri to garner votes ahead of Ludhiana bypoll," Jakhar said, adding the Chief Minister is directly responsible for loss of precious lives, revenue and jobs during the blockade for instigating farmers.
“It was never a fight to safeguard farmer rights but an one-upmanship… that they made innocent farmers a pawn in their political battles was evident from day one,” the leader said, referring to the tragic death of young Shubhkaran Singh and events post that incident.
On being asked the cause for the eviction of farmers from Haryana border, Jakhar said Arvind Kejriwal’s desperation for Ludhiana has forced state government’s hand, and now they have asked so-called farmer leaders who were in collusion with AAP since day one to vacate Shambhu and Khanauri.
Appealing to Ludhiana voters, Jakhar cautioned them to remain vigilant and not fall prey to the industry propaganda of Kejriwal.
