Got calls from Punjab Police asking us not to join debate, say farmer leaders

Dr Darshan Pal, president of the KKU, Punjab, said, “A group of 50 farmers will be reaching PAU as the CM has given an open invitation to the Punjabis. The farmers will be led by Avtar Singh Mehma, press secretary of the KKU; while other union leaders such Harinder Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib and Pavitar Lali from Barnala will also go. Farmers will also come from Ferozepur, Faridkot and Moga”.

Avtar Mehma said, “We want issues related to farmers and farm labourers to be raised in the debate as our side needs to be heard. We expect blamegames by political parties in the race of one-upmanship, but who will listen to the issues from the ground? Hence we are going on Wednesday. Three of us will be asking questions to the politicians. Let’s see if we are allowed to do so”.

Hours later, however, Mehma claimed that he received a call from CID officials. “After coming to know of our decision that we will be going to PAU, the CID is calling us. I received one call in the evening in which the officer asked why were we going to the debate. I told him that we decided to go following the open invitation of the CM to the Punjabis. The CID official asked me if I was a farmer and I replied that I am a Punjabi who happens to be farmer”

He further claimed that KKU general secretary Gurmeet Singh Mehma too received a call from Punjab Police. “They told him that debate was for politicians and not for common man. They told him to avoid the visit to PAU. However, we will go. Let’s see if they allow us to enter the university campus. If they don’t, then will raise our issues outside the campus,” Mehma said.

Meanwhile, Sadhu Singh, father of Gurjeet Singh — one of the two victims of the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing on peaceful protesters — had dared the CM to invite his family for the debate as they wanted to ask him questions on sacrilege case and the party’s stand over giving justice to victims’ families. Two Sikh protesters, Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Bhagwan Singh, were killed when they were protesting against a sacrilege incident.

However, Sadhu Singh told The Indian Express Tuesday that no one from his family will go to the PAU. “What appears to me is a chaotic programme in which no one will be heard, except for the AAP beating its own trumpet. The general public will be harassed only. They haven’t even indicated whether people like us will be able to ask questions or will be spectators only. Hence, we have no plans to go to such an event.”

He added, “Bhagwant Mann calls himself aam aadmi but he has not met me even once after becoming the CM, while I had met the previous CM Capt Amarinder Singh five times during his last tenure.”

Sarwan Singh Pandher, president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said, “Our union hasn’t planned to go to this debate. Farmer issues are not resolved in such a debate. They haven’t resolved our issues despite holding a few meetings in the past. So what will they do in this debate?”

Prem Singh Bhangu of All India Kisan Federation, part of five farmer organisations led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, said, “Without a proper agenda and planning, we will not go. How will they manage to take questions, etc?”

The ‘Main Punjab Bolda Han’ debate will be held in an auditorium that has seating capacity of 1,200. In the debate, each party will get 30 minutes to present their views, according to Mann.

The PAU has been hosting Saras Mela, a trade fair where artisans from 23 states display and sell their products, from October 27, and it is set to end on November 5. The artisans are apprehensive of a dip in sales on Wednesday due to Mann’s debate and the security arrangements.