Cong wary of BJP ‘plan’ to involve Capt in talks : The Tribune India

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Chandigarh, December 3

With farmer leaders adamant on repeal of the Central agri laws, Punjab Congress leaders are wary of BJP’s strategy to involve Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in its meetings with peasants to end the deadlock. The outcome of the meetings, which could go either way, could also prove counter-productive for the party.

Capt-Shah meeting shady, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has termed the meeting between Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the Union government's second round of meeting with the farmers as “shady”
State youth wing president and Barnala MLA Meet Hayer said nobody knew what transpired between Shah and Capt Amarinder ahead of the Union Government’s scheduled meeting with the farmers' representatives

"Since the Chief Minister has been regularly interacting with farmer leaders from Punjab and was successful in getting the rail blockades lifted, the BJP leaders feel that his involvement could prove productive in ending the stalemate. But the intervention can go either way," a senior Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leader said.

After meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday, Capt Amarinder sought an early resolution of the deadlock and urged the Centre to rethink its stand on the legislations. He also appealed to the farmers to find an early solution to the problem that was adversely impacting the state’s economy and posed a serious danger to national security.

The Chief Minister categorically said he and his government were not involved in mediation in any way and the matter had to be resolved between the Centre and farmers. However, sources said since the Chief Minister was the first to speak against the Central laws and even passed three amendments to the legislations, he had influence on the farmer leaders protesting on the Delhi borders. The sources did not rule out the possibility of the Centre insisting on the Chief Minister’s participation in the talks with farmers.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party stae youth wing president Meet Hayer said the Chief Minister should tell the people of Punjab whether or not he exerted pressure on Home Minister Amit Shah to repeal the Central agriculture laws. The youth leader said the Chief Minister telling the Home Minister to resolve the issues and concerns of the farmers expeditiously made no sense at this point in time.