Legal recourse to challenge farm laws ready, says Capt Amarinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 9

Taking a dig at state AAP president Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday said it was unfortunate that people like him (Mann), who had no knowledge about the Constitution and legislative procedures, were in politics, and making illogical statements with the sole motive of misleading the people. The CM said the state government had already finalised requisite petitions for challenging the central farm Acts and would do so at an opportune time on the advice of legal experts.

“Just like his bosses, Mann too has mastered the art of lying and deception but while doing so he has exposed his incompetence as a parliamentarian by making frivolous statements on matters pertaining to the Constitution and legislative procedures,” said Captain Amarinder. He was referring to AAP leader’s claims of a collusion between the Chief Minister and the Governor over sending the agriculture Bills, passed unanimously in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to negate the farm laws, to the President.

“You really have no knowledge of how legislative work is done… If you think that you can mislead the people of Punjab by your lies, you are utterly mistaken, as every Punjabi has seen through your webs of deceit and your betrayal of the farmers’ cause,” said Capt Amarinder. He said while his government’s stand on the Centre’s farm laws had been consistent from day one, both AAP and SAD had been doing flip flops over it.

“One day you unanimously support our Bills and your party leaders, including Leader of the Opposition, Harpal Singh Cheema, accompany me to the Governor and the very next day you do a somersault and start opposing them,” said the CM.

He further said AAP’s double face and its collusion with the BJP to weaken the farmers’ agitation had been further exposed with Arvind Kejriwal meekly notifying one of the farm laws in Delhi rather than following Punjab’s example of bringing in legislations in the Assembly to negate the impact of the black farm laws.

Captain Amarinder said although matters related to agriculture were mentioned in List II (State List) of the Constitution and fell under the exclusive domain of the state, the Government of India had enacted the three contentious farm laws under the provisions related to Agriculture Marketing mentioned in List III (Concurrent List). Being a central legislation, the state government had limited options under Article 254(2) of the Constitution.

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