CHANDIGARH: Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and farmer leaders, accusing them of exploiting farmers for political gains and engaging in "low-level politics." He claimed that farmers’ genuine demands were being ignored while Punjab was being "demolished."
Jakhar alleged that a conspiracy was underway to defame farmers. "Until now, they used farmers' names, but today, they razed farmers' tents with bulldozers. Pagri sambhal Jatta. You are being used by AAP, Congress, and even the farmer leaders for their political agendas," he said.
Targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jakhar accused him of betraying farmers after once championing their cause. "It is AAP that instigated the farmer protests. Mann, who once stood with farmers, has now turned hostile. In my 70 years of life, I have never seen a lawyer turn hostile against his own client," he remarked.
Jakhar also questioned the Punjab government’s sudden removal of farmer leader Jagjit Dallewal from a protest site. He pointed out that in December, the state government had told the Supreme Court it could not remove Dallewal, fearing the situation would become uncontrollable.
"How is it that the same government was able to clear the protest site in just twenty minutes yesterday? This was only possible through careful planning by the state government," he stated.
Taking a dig at AAP convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Jakhar accused him of using farmers for political mileage during the Delhi elections.
"Kejriwal used farmers to stage protests during the Delhi elections. Now, after more than a month, he is pleasing industrialists with his industrial policy, but there is no sign of a farmers' policy, nor will there be one. This is merely a political move ahead of the upcoming by-election in Ludhiana," he added.
Jakhar further challenged the Congress to clarify its stance on the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He criticised the party for not supporting MSP when its own MLA, Rana Gurjeet Singh, proposed it for all sugarcane farmers in the state.
"Why doesn’t Congress hold a protest where farmer leader Jagjit Dallewal has been hospitalised or at the Shambhu border, where farmers were cleared?" he questioned.
He also warned farmers against being misled by political leaders. "Ordinary farmers are unable to see through the haze of political manoeuvring. Think about your future and decide. Farmers were also misled against the BJP after the death of protesting farmer Shubhkarman," he said.