Chandigarh: The continuing fast-unto-death of farmers’ affiliation chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal in Faridkot is threatening to turn into a serious spoiler for the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP), which has been utilizing its governance mannequin and achievements in Punjab to achieve voters in Gujarat forward of subsequent month’s meeting elections in that state.
Dallewal is heading the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political), a conglomerate of apolitical farmers’ our bodies, and has been staging a fast-unto-death since 19 November towards Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s assertion a day earlier than ridiculing some farmer protests as “paid” protests.
Addressing a press convention on 18 November, Mann had lashed out on the farmers’ organisations, alleging that they have been changing into habituated to holding dharnas and earning profits out of it. He had additionally claimed that dharnas are scheduled in a fashion that the dates gave the impression to be pre-booked.
“Some farmer unions maintain resorting to dharnas routinely to make their presence felt. They do that as a result of they’ve to indicate expenditure after which additionally collect funds. In reality dharnas are deliberate one after the opposite virtually as in the event that they’re pre-booked,” Mann had mentioned.
With Dallewal’s quick coming into its sixth day Thursday, tons of of supporters are converging at Tehna in Faridkot the place Dallewal is tenting on the street within the open.
A number of makes an attempt by the Faridkot district administration to influence Dallewal to finish his quick have failed.
A request was made by agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal to Dallewal Wednesday to finish his quick, however the farmers’ chief didn’t relent. Nevertheless, later in one other interview, the minister hardened his stance and mentioned he’ll meet Dallewal when there’s a want to take action
Punjab Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Meeting) Speaker, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, had additionally visited Dallewal on the protest web site Monday and requested him to finish his quick, promising to speak to the federal government about his calls for, however was unable to get him to consent.
Dallewal’s supporters are in the meantime demanding that along with an apology from Mann for “insulting” farmers, the federal government ought to notify these of their calls for which they declare the federal government had agreed to however by no means notified. These embody revocation of an modification to the Rural Frequent Lands Act, 1961.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has additionally come out in assist of Dallewal, with social gathering president Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeting Wednesday that he had a spoken with the farmers’ chief and warranted him of his social gathering’s assist.
Spoke to BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) president S Jagjit Singh Ji Dallewal who’s on quick unto loss of life for previous 5 days.Inquired about his properly being & assured full assist to him. @Akali_Dal_ is a celebration of farmers & is dedicated to safeguard the rights of farming group in any respect prices. pic.twitter.com/uCUuBrA2CR
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) November 23, 2022
Mann, together with a number of members of his cupboard colleagues, is in Gujarat to take part in roadshows organised as a part of the AAP marketing campaign for the Gujarat elections. He shared footage of his roadshow at Mandvi Wednesday.
ਇੱਕੋ ਗੱਲ ਕਹਿ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ…ਆਪ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਾਬਾਦ#Mandvi ਵਾਲਿਓ ਬਹੁਤ ਬਹੁਤ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ… pic.twitter.com/1C8NNTYLw5
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) November 23, 2022
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‘Since govt didn’t hearken to calls for, so persevering with dharna’
Dallewal was amongst prime leaders of final yr’s farmers’ protest on the Singhu border towards the now-repealed farm legal guidelines introduced in by the Modi authorities in 2020. His organisation, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Sidhupur), part of the SKM (non-political), performed a defining position within the agitation that compelled the Narendra Modi authorities to revoke the three controversial farm legal guidelines final yr.
Along with Dallewal’s quick web site in Tehna in Faridkot, SKM (non-political) supporters are staging pakka dharnas (everlasting protests) at 5 different spots in Punjab.
“We had began a protest at six locations in Punjab on 16 November. This protest was to press the federal government to inform these selections that have been taken throughout a number of conferences between farmer our bodies and the federal government prior to now six months, by which the federal government had agreed to our calls for,” mentioned Karan Singh, who heads the Muktsar unit of BKU (Sidhupur).
The calls for embody revocation of an modification introduced by the Punjab authorities to the Rural Frequent Lands Act in September, permitting non-public land owned by non-public folks in villages to be transferred to the village panchayat for widespread use.
“Because the authorities didn’t present any signal of assembly our calls for, we continued our dharnas at six locations on essential roads,” Karan Singh advised ThePrint.
Throughout 18 November’s press convention Mann had additionally listed varied selections his authorities had taken to profit farmers. The Punjab CM had added that his authorities was dedicated to preserving its guarantees to the farmers, however they need to give him a while. Mann had additional mentioned that a number of dharnas led to inconveniencing folks, particularly those that needed to attain these locations for medical amenities and interviews.
Following Mann’s assertion Dallewal gave an ultimatum to the federal government to inform its purported guarantees by the midday of 19 November, failing which he had introduced he’ll begin a fast-unto-death.
Though the protest being staged by SKM (non-political) doesn’t have the assist of different farmers’ our bodies, together with teams led by different leaders of final yr’s agitation like Balbir Singh Rajewal and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, each these leaders have vociferously objected to Mann’s assertion.
“The Chief Minister mustn’t have given an announcement like this. The AAP is a celebration that has its origin in dharnas and protests,” Ugrahan advised the media in Punjab’s Barnala district Wednesday.
Rajewal has in the meantime termed Mann’s assertion as “nonsense”.
“All his life he has been making jokes and doing politics and on such a critical situation he has spoken this nonsense. He must pay for his feedback,” Rajewal had mentioned Monday.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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