Akalis take ally BJP on board to tackle situation

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 12

The ruling Akali Dal today took their alliance partner—the BJP—on board to work out the government strategy in dealing with the farmers’ agitation that has paralysed Punjab for the past six days.

BJP leaders, including Industry Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and Tikshan Sud, were called for a meeting to strategise the government stand in dealing with the farmers’ agitation. Till now, the Akali leaders were dealing with the issue on their own, and the BJP, though an alliance partner, had remained a mute spectator to the stand-off.

Since farmers are largely part of the Akali Dal’s rural vote bank (the dominant partner in the government), they were trying to negotiate with the agitators on their own. As the government got ready to negotiate with farmers today and found it “difficult” to accept their demands, it was decided to have the alliance partner in the loop on what the government should accede to, sources said. Director General of Police Sumedh Saini was also called for the meeting today. He was asked to explain “the options” before the government, in case the agitation was not called off.

DGP Saini is learnt to have said that it was not in the interests of the state if the government continued to be perceived as being “ineffective” in dealing with the agitators. BJP leaders also told the government to resolve the issue at the earliest and expressed their concern at how normal life had been disrupted and people inconvenienced because of the stir.

Farmers have been demanding Rs 40,000 per acre as compensation for the loss of cotton crop (against Rs 8,000 per acre already sanctioned to them), Rs 20,000 per family of farm labourers as compensation and an assured price of Rs 4,500 per quintal for basmati.

Considering the state government’s precarious financial health and the amount of Rs 1,183 crore already released for distressed farmers (sugarcane and cotton growers), the government knew there was little more it could offer to the farmers, who had been squatting on railway tracks across the state – a fact that was conveyed to all present at the meeting this afternoon.

Sources say the meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Badal himself and 11 of the 18 members of the SAD core committee were present their, besides BJP representatives. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Tota Singh, Sewa Singh Sekhwan, PS Chandumajra, Daljit Singh Cheema, and Janmeja Singh Sekhon were present at the meeting.