CHANDIGARH: Coming out strongly against the lookout notices issued against farmer leaders, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said treating the farmers as a ‘flight risk’ was not only illogical but condemnable.
“Where will they flee? Most of them are small farmers with small land holdings, and not big corporate raiders like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi, who had fled over the past few years after looting the country of billions of rupees. You failed to stop these bigwigs but are targeting these small farmers fighting for their survival,” said Amarinder, urging the Centre to immediately direct the Delhi Police to withdraw the lookout notices.
He also questioned the police’s decision to book farmer leaders for the Republic Day violence without any evidence against them.
“How can you blame all the farmer leaders for the mischief done by a breakaway group or the handiwork of some anti-social elements, who instigated the violence at the Red Fort and other parts of the national capital?” he asked.
Amarinder also hit out at Union Minister Prakash Javadekar over his “disgraceful and desperate” attempt to shift blame for the “shocking Red Fort violence”.
“Workers and supporters of the BJP and the AAP, and not the Congress, have been caught on camera waving the Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort.” Javadekar had on Wednesday blamed the Congress for the January 26 mayhem, alleging that the party instigated the farmers.
“Not a single Congress leader or member was seen at Red Fort indulging in any kind of lawlessness. Even farmers were not responsible for the January 26 trouble, which was in fact the doing of anti-social elements that had infiltrated the tractor rally,” the Punjab CM said.
“The Centre should get a free and fair probe conducted into the possible role of any political party, or even a third country, as is being alleged by BJP’s own leaders, to ensure that the guilty are punished.”