Will pay farmers if Centre fails to roll back MSP cut, says Capt

Tribune News Service

Mehamdpur (Patiala), May 8

Addressing a poll meeting in Patiala for his wife and Congress nominee Preneet Kaur, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today made a direct attack on Prime Minister Narender Modi for “creating obstacles in the procurement of wheat in Punjab”.

The CM announced Rs 5 lakh health insurance policy for Punjab residents in all hospitals by June 15. He announced that the state would compensate the farmers if the Modi government did not concede to their demand for withdrawal of value cut on the MSP in procurement of wheat in the wake of the damage to crops resulting from unseasonal rains.

In an informal chat after addressing the workers’ rally, the CM said he would ensure that the farmers were not penalised or burdened for no fault of theirs. “The state will subsidise the value cut on MSP,” he declared. He was accompanied by his wife Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh along with Fatehgarh Sahib candidate Amar Singh and Sangrur nominee Kewal Dhillon.

“Stepmotherly treatment is being meted out to Punjab’s farmers by the BJP-led government at the Centre in a bid to undermine the Congress government in the state,” alleged Capt Amarinder, adding that the diversion of gunny bags to Haryana and the Centre’s decision regarding imposition of value cut on MSP for the wheat procured under the relaxed specifications in Punjab during the rabi marketing season 2019-20 was politically motivated.

“Despite repeated requests, including letters personally written to the PM, on the issue of value cut, the Centre failed to respond so far,” he said.

Earlier, at the rally, Modi also came under fire from the CM over his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi and his continuous efforts to take credit for the achievements of the armed forces. “The Modi rule had been nothing but a saga of failed promises. Demonetisation failed to end black money, while GST broke the back of thousands of small traders.”

Lashing out at the Badals for their divisive politics, the CM reiterated that the Akali leaders would not escape punishment for their misdeeds, especially the sacrilege cases which were clearly an attempt to create a communal divide to woo Sikh votes. “Sukhbir Badal has already done enough damage to Punjab in their 10-year rule. But I will get Punjab rid of them,” Capt Amarinder added.

Warring calls Sukhbir ‘General Dyer II’

Bathinda: At a rally here, while Capt Amarinder declared that his party would not allow the secular ideology of the nation to be destroyed, party candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring dubbed SAD chief Sukhbir Badal “General Dyer II” for “ordering” police firing on peaceful protesters at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura. Capt Amarinder also said the firings could not have taken place without the permission of the then CM Parkash Singh Badal. tns