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Journalism of Courage
The Opposition in Punjab is targeting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over his “private” visit to Australia amidst the ongoing farmers’ protests and the recent bomb blasts in the state.
Mann flew to Australia on Tuesday evening along with his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, his security chief ADGP AK Pandey, and Additional Principal Secretary Varjeet Walia. He is likely to return to India early January.
Sources in the government say that Mann is on a “private” visit to Australia. With some officials of the state sports department also accompanying Mann on his trip, there are speculations that the CM may watch a Pro Kabaddi League match in Melbourne on December 28. There is also a buzz about him seeing the Indian cricket team play with Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar test series there.
As soon as the news about the CM’s visit became public, the Opposition hit out at the AAP leader for “holidaying” when the “state burns”.
Targeting Mann, senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, said, “The state has been going through a very crucial phase now. The border districts have been shaken by the (the recent) blasts, exposing the poor law and order situation.” Since November 23, as many as eight blasts have taken place across Punjab. Four of these took place in Amritsar, three in Gurdaspur, and one in Nawanshahr.
Bajwa also highlighted the issue of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast unto death continuing at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border.
“Dallewal’s fast has entered the 30th day. The BJP-led Union government has plotted to dismantle the mandi system in Punjab. It has brought back some clauses of the three anti-farmer laws through the new draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. In such circumstances, how can the Punjab CM even think of enjoying the cricket match in Australia?” Bajwa asked.
Bajwa, who is the Qadian MLA, said the Mann-led AAP government should have called a meeting to discuss the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. All parties in Punjab fear the Centre’s new policy could lead to the dismantling of the mandi system, leaving farmers vulnerable to exploitation by profit-driven private players, he said.
Recently, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian charged that this policy was “yet another attempt by the BJP-led Centre to impose top-down reforms that could undermine the state’s agrarian structure and the livelihood of its farmers”.
He also said that the state would communicate its “rejection” of the policy to the Centre soon. However, with Mann away in Australia, several Opposition leaders fear there would be delay in this regard.
Even state BJP chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar said Mann has left Punjab at a time when the state was facing an “emergency-like situation” over the farmers’ protests.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) lashed out at the CM for “holidaying” in Australia during the current Shaheedi fortnight. Every December, Sikhs mark the supreme sacrifice made by the four sons and the mother of their 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Shaheedi Jor Mela or Shaheedi Sabha are thus observed in Punjab’s Chamkaur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib, attended by lakhs of people.
The SAD’s chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said it was “shocking” that Mann opted to “enjoy a New Year party at a time when Punjabis were paying tributes” during the Shaheedi fortnight.
He added that it was “shameful” that the CM has so far not spoken to the protesting farmers. The farmers have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February this year.
While the AAP has not reacted on the issue yet, an AAP leader told The Indian Express that there was “nothing wrong with the CM going abroad”.
“Why the CM cannot spend time with his family? Is he not human?.. There is no party line on this yet. If there was any problem, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal would have stopped him. They both were together in a meeting in Delhi.”
Mann’s foreign visit is also being criticised because of the decreased Cabinet meetings in Punjab.
Apart from the Lok Sabha polls and several bypolls, there have also been local body elections in Punjab this year. This meant that the state was under the model code of conduct (MCC) for about six months, even as the Mann government held only five Cabinet meetings this year. The MCC regime for the municipal elections, which took place on December 21, ended on Tuesday.
