Why link stir to security issue, Sukhbir asks Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to stop his “dangerous efforts to sabotage” the farmers’ agitation by linking it with national security.

The Akali leader asked the Punjab CM to share with the people the specific grounds or intelligence on the basis of which he had suddenly woken up to the threat to national security and that too when the farmers’ battle of life and death had reached a crucial stage.

After meeting Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, Captain Amarinder said, “I came to meet the Home Minister to reiterate our position and to make a request to him and the farmers to resolve this soon because this (agitation) affects the economy of my Punjab as well as the security of the nation.”

In a statement here, Sukhbir said, “Amarinder is clearly dancing to someone else’s tune to paint the farmers as national security risk. His so-called warning came immediately after his suspicious meeting with a powerful Union minister. Does he think the farmers and others in the country can’t see through his conspiratorial role against them?”

The SAD chief said instead of telling the government to address the farmers’ genuine apprehensions and grievances, the CM had chosen to warn the poor farmers against continuing with their peaceful, democratic agitation. “At the same time, he has tried to set the whole country against the farmers’ cause. This is clearly a part of the Centre’s design to use him to weaken support for the farmers,” he said.