Farm laws death knell for BJP: Punjab CM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 9

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said Punjab would prove to be BJP’s nemesis as the farm laws would sound the “death knell” for the party.

“The BJP is set to lose not just these civic polls but also the 2022 Punjab Assembly election. Its very existence will be wiped out from our soil,” said the Chief Minister, while reacting to the saffron party leadership’s assertion it would spring a surprise in the Assembly polls.

• Also read: Drop cases, free farmers: SGPC
• AAP: Sunny Deol has betrayed protesters, Parliament

A party failing to muster candidates for even 50 per cent of the civic body seats was trying to shift blame on the Congress for the farmers’ wrath, he said.

The BJP should start preparing for political oblivion, said the CM, adding its fate was now sealed, not just in Punjab but also at the Centre. “The farm laws will sound the death knell for the party. For nearly seven years, they have trampled over human rights, as well as the dignity and aspirations of Indians, and now it is the people’s turn,” he said.

“What you see on the roads, and which you allege to be the Congress handiwork, is the spontaneous anger triggered by your anti-farmer attitude,” he said, rejecting Punjab BJP’s claims of Congress workers, not farmers, targeting its campaign trail for the upcoming civic body elections.

“Did you really think you could get away with abusing farmers, and violating their democratic and constitutional rights,” the CM asked BJP’s state leadership.

Scorning the BJP’s charge of the police being mute spectator while they were being stopped from entering constituencies for electioneering, Capt Amarinder said the protesters themselves were complaining of being subjected to lathicharge. “The fact is that not only the Punjab Police but also the Election Commission are doing their job sincerely,” he said.

To the party leadership’s assertion that it would spring a surprise in Punjab in the Assembly polls, the CM said: “Yes, there will be a big surprise in 2022, with the BJP’s very existence being wiped out from our soil.”