‘NIA notices another attempt of Centre to scuttle agitation’

Tribune News Service

Phagwara, January 19

By issuing NIA notices to farm leaders and supporters of agriculture agitation, the BJP-led NDA government has proven that it was hell bent on killing democracy by brutal misuse of power, said former minister and chairman of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Joginder Singh Mann on Monday.

In a statement, Mann said: “Right from demonetisation to passing of draconian anti-farmer laws, the Modi government has left no stone unturned in sounding the death knell to democracy.” He said the valiant, hard working and resilient farmers of the country, who had played a major role in making the country self-reliant, have been now forced to sleep on roads amid spine-chilling cold due to haughty attitude of the Centre.

Mann said as a fact of matter Modi and his coterie want to kill democracy through these measures. The Central agencies such as ED, NIA and others have been assigned role to suppress the voice of democracy by serving notices to sympathisers of farmers. Mann said this was in contrast with the democratic ideals enshrined in the Constitution of the country.

The former minister said this would never be tolerated and the farmers of Punjab would not bow down in front of such tactics of the Modi government.