News Analysis India

Tag: Charanjit Channi

  • Repealing farm laws: Opposition welcomes PM’s decision but says it’s too late

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: While Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on repealing the farm laws but at the same time they slammed the BJP for taking the decision too late. On the other hand, saffron party leaders hailed Modi for the decision.

    Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi termed the Centre’s decision to repeal all three farm laws as much delayed but a welcome step. Channi said that had Prime Minister Narendra Modi taken this decision much earlier several precious lives would have been saved.

    The CM blamed the Centre for thrusting these black farm laws arbitrarily on the farmers without taking them into confidence, and said: “The BJP-led Central government should admit on record to have made a Himalayan blunder by bringing these bills for which it hardly bothered for the past one and half years.”

    Channi said that incidents such as Lakhimpur Kheri which happened during the anti-farm law protest has put a slur on democracy and the people will never forgive BJP for its misdeeds.

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    The CM further said that now when the Prime Minister has announced to withdraw these farm laws, he should also compensate the kin of the farmers adequately for losses of life and property. Channi also appealed to the Prime Minister to immediately announce a financial package to relieve farmers and labourers reeling under the huge burden of debt. He also urged the Centre to make its stand crystal clear on Minimum Support Price and public procurement of farmers’ crops.

    Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh also thanked PM Modi for repealing the three farm laws on the pious occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. “I’m sure the central government will continue to work in tandem for the development of the farmers,” he added.

    Five-time former CM Parkash Singh Badal described PM Modi’s announcement on withdrawal of three laws on farming as “a defining moment in history,” and said that it marks a historic day for the farmers on the  sacred day of  Guru Nanak Dev Prakash purb.”

    Bemoaning that the farmers were not consulted before enacting these laws, the former Chief Minister said, “It was the first time in the history of democratic governments that brazen and cruel laws were made without even taking the stakeholders on board. No government should ever do such an insensitive and cruel thing again.”

    Badal said that this decision will have implications far beyond the farmers and will have a wide-ranging and long-lasting impact on the struggle for justice for the poor and the deprived across the world.

    He asked centre and state governments to stand by the martyrs’ families with liberal help in the form of government jobs and financial assistance. 

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    Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann termed the announcement by Modi to repeal the three agricultural laws as a victory of the farmers. He said that the Aam Aadmi Party had already been raising the voice of the farmers from the streets to Parliament and would continue to demand tributes and fair compensation to the martyred farmers during the winter session of Parliament starting from November 29.

    “The Modi led central government has delayed the repeal of the black farm laws and nearly 700 farmers were killed during the one-year struggle. The Modi government are responsible for the martyrdom of the farmers. It would have been better if the Prime Minister had also announced MSP on 23 crops then the farmers would have happily returned to their fields,’’ he said.

    Senior Punjab BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said the announcement came at the auspicious occasion of Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev, which is evident of PM Modi’s commitment to the common man and farmers.

    Chhina, who met PM as part of the party’s delegation last week, said the issue was discussed threadbare and the PM listened to them patiently. “He is a true democratic leader and seeing the sentiments prevailing he has decided to repeal the laws, which is a welcome step.’’

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    Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, while welcoming the announcement to repeal the three farm laws said that for more than a year since the Central Government had brought three agriculture laws for the benefit of farmers especially small and marginal one’s, unfortunately, some farmers unions had been protesting on the Delhi borders.

    “Today Narendra Modi while once again choosing the larger public interest announced to repeal these laws. However, soon after the introduction of these laws, a large number of farmers had considered these laws beneficial for them and had also appreciated the Central Government, ‘’ he said.

    “Like Prime Minister, I would also urge farmers sitting on Delhi borders, to immediately end their protest and return to their homes, as the common man is also facing a lot of difficulties due to this agitation. Now, a positive attitude should be adopted towards this issue,’’ he said.

    He said that the Prime Minister has also said that a committee will be constituted for considering the demands of the farmers related to MSP. “ In this committee representatives of farmer unions, state governments and scientists will also be included. I hope a decision in this regard will also be taken soon, said the Chief Minister, ‘’ he said.

    BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said that it would go a long way in removing misunderstandings in the mind of farmers. He said the prime minister has always made sincere efforts to improve the plight of farmers as a result he launched a number of farmers welfare schemes that have benefitted farmers in a big way.

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  • After Punjab, Congress likely to tackle Rajasthan rift through Cabinet reshuffle

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The political turmoil in Punjab has created ripples and intensified political activity in Rajasthan. With the Congress high command replacing Amarinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi as the Punjab CM, a big buzz has been set off that the reshuffle in the Gehlot govt and political appointments in Rajasthan will soon be finalised. 

    The buzz in political circles is that after Punjab, a solution to the Rajasthan crisis is the top priority of the Congress High Command. 

    The Sachin Pilot camp is excited over a reported meeting between Sachin Pilot and Rahul Gandhi over the weekend. Pilot loyalists, on condition of anonymity, said after the Punjab resolution, a formula to resolve the Rajasthan rift cannot be delayed any longer. With Pilot reportedly holding detailed discussions with Rahul, they are confident that the party will soon take a ‘fair and balanced decision about Rajasthan at the earliest. 

    The Pilot faction expects that after the Punjab episode, a power-sharing arrangement will soon be worked out where the promised cabinet reshuffle and other political appointments will be finally settled. Sachin Pilot, who was sacked both as the deputy CM and the state Congress chief after his rebellion last year, has repeatedly expressed the hope that the high command will take effective steps to address the issues raised by him. After the Punjab saga, the Pilot camp is quite confident that the party will fulfill the promises made to them which have been inordinately delayed for one reason or the other over the past year. 

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    Significantly, though CM Ashok Gehlot stayed away from the recent session of the Rajasthan assembly due to illness, he is now suddenly back in action. Besides advising Amarinder Singh through Twitter not to do anything to damage the party, Gehlot is holding a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. On Monday, Gehlot held a review meeting on a special campaign of his government called ‘Prashasan Ganwo ke Sangh’ (Administration with Villages). While this was an online meet with senior officials, Gehlot on Wednesday will meet his ministers in person – in the first offline meeting of his Cabinet for over a year.   

    CM Gehlot has so far refused to act under any pressure for making the changes demanded by the Pilot faction. However, insiders say Gehlot is likely to soften his stance after a clear statement was made recently by the AICC general secretary Ajay Maken. The Incharge for Rajasthan had said that the roadmap for the state is ready and that the delay in Cabinet expansion, to accommodate Pilot loyalists, was only due to Gehlot’s recent angioplasty. 

    Though many in the Pilot camp claim that the AICC has made it clear that CM Gehlot cannot postpone decisions indefinitely, Gehlot loyalists are keen to assert that the Rajasthan situation is very different from that in Punjab. As state Revenue Minister, Harish Chaudhary who was one of the two AICC observers for the Punjab episode, remarked, “MLAs in Rajasthan are strong with CM Ashok Gehlot and there is no resentment towards him. The cabinet expansion would have happened but for CM’s ill-health. The day the CM’s plane flies towards Delhi, the cabinet expansion will also happen.”