Farm stir: Capt calls all-party meet on Feb 2 to chart future strategy

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has called an all-party meeting Tuesday “in a spirit of unity, in support of the farmers, and in the interest of Punjab” to evolve a consensus on the way forward on the on the three contentious central farm laws.

The meeting will be held at 11 am at Punjab Bhawan, according to a government statement issued Sunday. The meeting will discuss the situation arising out of the recent developments in the ongoing farmers’ agitation in Delhi, especially in view of the Republic Day violence, “the Singhu border attack on farmers, and the massive vilification campaign against them”.

Urging urged all parties to join the meeting, Amarinder said, “This is not the time to stand on ego but to come together to save our state and our people”.

The Chief Minister said the “crisis” triggered by the farm laws was a matter of concern for the entire state and its people. “Only through collective efforts of all Punjabis, and all the political parties of the state, can the crisis be tackled effectively and the farmers’ interests be protected,” he added.

“Our farmers are dying out there at the Delhi borders for more than two months now. They are being beaten up by the police and assaulted by goons. They are being harassed by being deprived of basic amenities,” Amarinder said.

With a large number of farmers from Punjab at the receiving end of this battering, he said, it was imperative for all parties of the state to come together to evolve a cohesive strategy on the issue.

He expressed hope that all political parties in Punjab will put aside their differences to find a solution to the problem, which, he said, touches every Punjabi.