Punjab Budget session set to be stormy over crackdown on farmers, 'bulldozer justice'

The crackdown on farmers, "police atrocities" on the common man and the "bulldozer justice" adopted by the AAP government as part of their anti-drug campaign are among the major issues expected to dominate the Punjab Budget session that begins on Friday.

The session is going to be a stormy affair as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party would like to present its pro-development face and justify the crackdown on farmers on the grounds for revving up the economic activity in the state, and the Opposition, led by the Congress, would corner it over the issue.

The session will begin with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's address on Friday. The Budget proposals will be presented by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema on March 26. The focus in the Budget will be on industry, infrastructure, employment generation, etc. It remains to be seen if the government announces the Rs 1,000 per month allowance to women amidst cuts on several Central grants. The Budget is again expected to show a huge revenue deficit, with the servicing of old debt and high committed liabilities taking up the major portion of the revenue receipts.

Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel has directed the party legislators to adopt an aggressive stand on the use of force on farmers, law and order, drug menace and unfulfilled poll promise of paying monthly allowance of Rs 1000 to women to corner the government.

Trying to punch holes into the AAP’s narrative of the farmer’s protest hitting the state’s economy, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa today said the crackdown on farmers was part of the opportunistic politics pursued by the ruling party to woo the trading community in wake of the Ludhiana (West) byelections. “In the session, we will expose the false narratives of the ruling party. First, they assaulted a jawan and then they used force on farmers. They are anti-jawan and anti-kisan. Once the Ludhiana bypoll are over, they would ignore traders," he said.

Bajwa, who has called a meeting of the Congress legislative party tomorrow, said: "It was expected from CM Bhagwant Mann. I had been warning the farmers for past many months. I directly hold Arvind Kejriwal responsible for this. He has not come here for vipassana, but to rule and loot Punjab. They are not with anyone -- neither farmers nor youth."

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said AAP was crushing the farmers’ movement at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre.

Party sources said with AAP completing its three years in power, the Congress would corner the ruling dispensation on not fulfilling its promise to give MSP on 22 crops. The party has issued diktat to all MLAs to be present during the House proceedings. Though the party has 16 MLA, besides two suspended legislators Vikram Chaudhary and Sandeep Jakhar in the Assembly, in the past all MLAs had not remained present during the session.