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Punjab CM Hospitalized in Mohali After Fainting Incident, Condition Stable

September 26, 2024, 3:31 pm

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali late Wednesday night after he fainted, according to sources. He is undergoing a series of medical tests, and his condition is reported to be stable. The exact nature of his ailment has not been disclosed yet. Hospital authorities have refrained from commenting, while government officials have assured that a formal statement will be issued soon.

Punjab CM Announces Over 44,000 Government Jobs and 10,000 New Police Posts on Independence Day

August 15, 2024, 2:36 pm

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hoisted the national flag at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium on Thursday, marking the 78th Independence Day. During the event, Mann inspected the parade and took a salute from the march past.

In his speech, delivered from behind a bulletproof glass module, Mann paid tribute to martyrs, including freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. He highlighted the significant role Punjabis played in India’s struggle for independence, stating, “Punjabis made 80 percent of the sacrifices for freedom. Whether it was the Kuka Lehar, Ghadar Movement, Komagata Maru incident, Babbar Akali movement, or other efforts, Punjabis were always at the forefront. Freedom came at a heavy price, but the contributions of Punjabis remain unparalleled.”

Mann also discussed several key initiatives of his government, including increased use of canal water for irrigation, the establishment of Schools of Eminence, the expansion of mohalla clinics offering free medical treatment, and the creation of over 44,000 government jobs.

Addressing the state’s water crisis, Mann noted that the Green Revolution had severely depleted Punjab’s water resources, with levels dropping to 600 feet. He emphasized the need for a movement to address this issue, stating that the AAP government has begun reviving old canals, drains, and tributaries to ensure water reaches the fields. Mann also announced the construction of a 150-km Malwa canal, the first of its kind in post-independence Punjab, which will irrigate nearly 2 lakh acres in the southern part of the state.

In addition, Mann highlighted the establishment of the ‘Sadak Surakhya Force’ to improve traffic management and reduce road accidents. He reported that in the past two and a half years, 14,381 drug smugglers and peddlers have been arrested, with 10,394 drug-related cases registered. The state police have seized 1,207 kg of heroin, 1,012 kg of opium, 816 kg of ganja, and properties worth Rs 173 crore from smugglers.

Mann concluded by announcing the creation of 10,000 new posts in the police department.

Bhagwant Mann has become thirsty for blood, says Congress leader Khaira

September 28, 2023, 3:59 pm

Describing the current situation as ‘Vendetta Politics,’ Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira asserted on Thursday that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has developed a thirst for vengeance.

Khaira made these remarks while addressing the media outside the court complex in Fazilka, where he was brought by Punjab police following his arrest earlier that morning. His arrest pertained to an old case filed in 2015 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During his conversation with reporters, Khaira claimed that Bhagwant Mann might go to the extent of orchestrating his demise. He stated, “They once professed that they were engaging in ‘Transformational Politics,’ but it appears they are practicing ‘Politics of Revenge.’ Bhagwant Mann seems to be driven by a thirst for vengeance.”

Khaira went on to express concerns about his personal safety and held Bhagwant Mann accountable for any potential harm, saying, “I would not be surprised if he conspires to eliminate me. I sense a grave and imminent danger, and I firmly believe that Bhagwant Mann will bear sole responsibility for it.”

Furthermore, Khaira contended that Bhagwant Mann was finding it difficult to accept the Congress’s growing popularity in Punjab. He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had detained him as part of a strategy to sideline the Congress in Punjab. He vowed to resist such actions and stated, “I will stand my ground and not succumb to fear. Ultimately, the truth will prevail.”

Reply or I will write to President, Punjab Governor warns CM Mann

August 25, 2023, 9:25 pm

Banwarilal Purohit, the Punjab Governor, addressed a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, telling him that if his letters are not replied, he may recommend President’s control in the state and commence criminal proceedings.

In his latest communication to Mann, Governor Purohit reiterated that he was not getting any reply from him on his previous letters, and warned him that he could send a report to the President on “failure of constitutional mechanism.”

“I am pained to point out that there is reason to believe that there is failure of the constitutional machinery in the state,” Purohit said in his letter to Mann. Purohit further requested that the Punjab Chief Minister act before making this “final decision” in accordance with Article 356 of the Constitution and Section 124 of the Indian Penal Code.

“Before I am going to take a final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters referred to above, as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the State, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution,” the governor wrote.

With the invocation of Article 356, a state is brought under direct administration of the Centre, usually after the Governor sends a report.

Referring to the Constitution of India, he said, “Bound as I am by the duty placed on the Governor under the Constitution to see that the administration is carried on a level which would be regarded as good, efficient, impartial and honest and that the proposals enunciated by the government are not contrary to the Law of the Land, I have therefore to advise you, warn you and ask you to respond to my letters referred to above and give me the information sought by me.”

He also reminded Mann about his August 1 letter, seeking answers to his questions, Governor Purohit said, “You have still not given the information sought by me. It appears that you are deliberately refusing to give me the information asked for by me.

“I regret to note here that in spite of the clear provisions of Article 167 of the Constitution of India which makes it mandatory for the chief minister to furnish all such information relating to the administration of affairs of the state as the Governor may call for, you have failed to supply the information sought by me.”

He continued “I have received reports from various agencies regarding the rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab. It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops, a new trend is observed that they are being sold in the government-controlled liquor vends.

“Recent action by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Chandigarh Police have sealed 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana who are selling drugs, in a joint operation,” Purohit said, adding that these facts point out the breaking down of the law and order system in Punjab so much so that now villagers have started protesting on the streets in large numbers and decided to set up their own village defence committees to protect themselves from drugs.”

“Please send a report concerning the action taken by you in the matter of these drugs to my office immediately,” he directed.

The Governor has also reminded Mann of a Supreme Court judgment dated February 28, 2023, in which the apex court “observed that both the chief minister and the governor are constitutional functionaries who have specified roles and obligations earmarked by the Constitution and that the governor has a right to seek information from the chief minister in terms of Article 167(b) on matters relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislation”.

Former Punjab CM Channi summoned by Vigilance Bureau for disproportionate assets case

April 12, 2023, 10:50 am

According to official sources, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has summoned former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to appear for questioning on Wednesday in an alleged disproportionate assets case.

According to them, the Congress leader has been summoned to the bureau’s office in Mohali. This is the first time Channi has been called in for questioning in the case.

The Vigilance Bureau initially summoned Channi on Wednesday, but changed the date after the Congress leader requested time. Channi stated, “I will appear before the Vigilance Bureau on 20 April.”

Previously, on 7 March, the Vigilance Bureau issued a lookout circular against Channi, preventing him from flying abroad. Channi announced in a video message two days later that he was cancelling his trip to the United States. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh, alias Honey, in February last year in an alleged illegal sand mining case. The ED had seized nearly Rs 10 crore in addition to a number of valuables from Honey’s premises. It has been claimed that Honey amassed his fortune by assisting mining contractors and through official transfers and postings. ED also summoned Channi in April of last year to record his statement. Channi had previously described his nephew’s arrest and summons as a vendetta and political witch hunt.

Channi left for the United States and Canada shortly after the Congress’ humiliating defeat in last year’s Assembly elections, in which he was the party’s CM face, and returned nearly seven months later in December. Channi had previously run unsuccessfully for the Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur Assembly seats.

On Tuesday, Channi claimed that the Vigilance Bureau summons were a “political witch hunt” and that he was summoned because of political vendetta. “The AAP government is doing this to defame the established leadership of the Congress party,” Channi explained.

He also questioned the VB summon’s timing. “This was done on purpose ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll,” he added.

In the aftermath of a “humiliating defeat” in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring accused the AAP government of “choosing to resort to its last weapon, the vigilance bureau.”

“Faced with a certain and humiliating defeat in the Jalandhar bypoll, the AAP resorts to its last weapon, the vigilance bureau.” “Charanjit Channi has faced far more serious threats than an investigation, and I am confident he will emerge stronger,” Warring wrote in a tweet.

Warring later claimed in a statement that the AAP government is “anti-Dalit” and has plan to target and harass dalit leaders. The election for the Jalandhar parliamentary seat will be held on 10 May with the results announced on 13 May. The byelection was called after Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary’s death in January at the age of 76. He died of a cardiac arrest while participating in the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jalandhar’s Phillaur.

Punjab: CM Mann announces increase in crop loss compensation

March 27, 2023, 4:14 pm

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held a meeting with officials and discussed the matter of compensating farmers for crop losses due to bad weather.

There are reports of heavy damage to crops due to bad weather in North India. The crops of the farmers in many districts of Punjab were ruined, after which the farmers demanded compensation. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and several other officials personally visited the crop fields to assess the damage caused to the crops. After assessing the crops, he held a meeting with the officials.

Taking this to Twitter, CM Bhagwant Mann released a video on his personal account saying, ‘We have changed the method of compensation of the previous government, and now, unlike the previous government, we will not only announce the compensation but will also give it.’

He said that we will not distribute checks for Rs 54 or Rs 111, but farmers will be given timely compensation in a transparent manner. CM Bhagwant Mann said that earlier, 12 thousand rupees were given for 75 percent to 100 percent loss, but now 15 thousand rupees will be given for 75 percent to 100 percent loss. In the previous government, Rs 5400 was given for a 33 to 50 percent loss, but now Rs 6750 will be given.

Taking it to the CMO Punjab Twitter account, he said, “The laborer’s will get 10 percent as compensation, of which Rs 95,100 will be paid as compensation for complete house damage and Rs 5,200 will be given for minor damage to houses. The state government will soon introduce a crop insurance scheme for farmers”.

Punjab CM to take action against ex-Punjab DGP, others over PM’s security breach

March 21, 2023, 1:10 pm

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, has decided to take disciplinary action against several police officials, including former DGP of the state, in connection with the breach of security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Punjab back in January 2022.

An official letter of the government of Punjab revealed that CM Mann has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the likes of Sidharth Chattopadhyay, the then DGP Punjab, Inderbir Singh, the then DIG, Ferozepur Range and Harmandeep Singh Hans, the then SSP Ferozepur.

Earlier, on 14 March, Chief Secretary of Punjab, Vijay Kumar Janjua said that the state government will soon submit the “interim” report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, regarding the security breach during the visit of PM.

This news came to spotlight after the Central government demanded a detailed action-taken report from the government of Punjab. According to the statement given by the sources, a letter was sent by the MHA to the Punjab government, seeking a detailed action taken report.

Earlier, the Chief Secretary said that the government has received the reports of the inquiry conducted by a panel constituted by the Supreme Court into the incident. He also revealed that the matter is under consideration.

A report submitted six months ago by the Supreme Court-appointed inquiry committee looking into the security breach during PM Modi’s visit to Punjab on January, 2022, blamed then-state Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari, Police Chief S Chattopadhyaya, and other top officers.

Punjab: Police lash out at farmers protesting outside CM’s resident in Sangrur

November 30, 2022, 6:03 pm

In front of the rented residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday, the Sangrur Police lashed out at protesting farm workers. The workers urged that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 (MGNREGA) be amended to raise the minimum daily pay to Rs. 700, adopt five-marla plot plans for Dalits, and provide the community the third share of common panchayat land on lease.

Under the banner of the Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, an alliance of eight labour organisations, they were demonstrating. Around three o’clock in the afternoon, hundreds of agricultural labourers from Sangrur assembled near the Patiala-Bathinda road and marched in that direction.

The cops began using force on them and even used a lathi charge after they got outside the private colony where Mann’s house is located.

Manpreet Singh, the SP for Sangrur, organised the cane-charging and was seen in footage hitting protesters. In the videos, he is seen ordering other cops and hitting protesters.

BJP TRYING TO USE THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR: CAPT AMARINDER

January 4, 2021, 2:23 am

Reacting sharply to the BJP state unit’s tweet accusing him of trying to make Punjab into another West Bengal, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that it was the power-hungry BJP which had been trying to use the office of the Governor for its own vested interests. “It has been happening in West Bengal, it happened in Maharashtra, and now they are trying to do the same in Punjab,” said Captain Amarinder, adding that BJP is shamelessly doing efforts to force its way into power in states where they are currently not ruling.

The BJP, which has been systemically trampling all democratic and Constitutional institutions, has not spared even the office of Governor, said the Chief Minister, adding that “these actions do not behoove a party that is the custodian of these institutions as the ruling party at the Centre.”

Captain Amarinder quipped that the BJP, despite being a national party, seemed totally ignorant about the Constitutional provisions, according to which the Governor was the titular head of the state but all administration authority vested with the chief minister. “Don’t these BJP leaders know that the law and order responsibility of my state lies with me not only as chief minister but also as the home minister?,” he asked, urging the BJP leaders of Punjab to first learn the ABCs of the Indian Constitution before shooting their mouth on Constitutional matters.

The Chief Minister said the party was shamelessly exploiting the present situation and spreading a carnage of lies for furthering its political interests. This, he said, was evident in their bid to project the farmers’ genuine anger as a law and order situation in Punjab.

Incidents of BJP leaders facing the wrath of farmers have been reported from the BJP-ruled Haryana, and even UP, he pointed out, adding that by the same yardstick those should also be construed as a case of collapse of law and order in those states. “And if the incidents of farmers venting their anger at BJP leaders in Punjab are at the behest of the ruling Congress here, as they are alleging, then by the same logic, the ruling BJP in Haryana and UP is to blame for the trouble there,” he added.

The Chief Minister also hit out at the BJP over its threat of gherao of Punjab Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu’s house if FIR is not registered against him by the Punjab Police. This was not only ridiculous but another instance of the BJP playing to the gallery since the Delhi Police had already registered a case in a non-cognizable offence against Bittu, he added.

It was sad that at a time when farmers were dying every day in the bitter winter cold while sitting in protest at Delhi borders for the past nearly 40 days, the BJP was busy indulging in cheap politics, said Captain Amarinder. The BJP would gain more political mileage by responding to the woes of the farmers and heeding their voice instead of resorting to political theatrics and lies, he said.

“The entire nation can feel the pain of the farmers except the party which heads the country,” said Captain Amarinder, urging the BJP-led central government to bring the farming crisis to an end before it gets completely out of hand.

PUNJAB CM TAKES SERIOUS NOTE OF PROTESTERS’ ATTEMPTS TO FORCIBLY ENTER HOMES OF POLITICIANS

January 2, 2021, 3:34 am

Taking serious note of attempts by some protesters to forcibly enter homes of political leaders and workers in support of the farmers’ agitation, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said such actions went against the spirit of Punjabiyat and could not be condoned.

Strongly condemning such behaviour, the Chief Minister appealed to the protestors not to cause any harassment or inconvenience to families of political functionaries of any party by resorting to these kind of acts. Invasion of privacy of people would bring a bad name to the peaceful agitation of the farmers and defeat its very objective, he warned, exhorting protestors not to take the law into their hands in their fight for the farmers’ rights.

After months of showing exemplary restraint, and not indulging in any violence or lawlessness in Punjab, as well as at the borders of the national capital, some protestors were losing restraint despite being categorically asked by Kisan leaders to keep the protests peaceful, said Captain Amarinder. He urged these protesters to exercise restraint and express their solidarity with the farmers in the same spirit of self-discipline as had been demonstrated so far by farmer organizations and lakhs of their supporters.

The Chief Minister further warned that such attempts at forcible entry into the houses of any political functionaries, or picketing of their homes, had the dangerous potential of vitiating the atmosphere of peace and destroy the harmony amongst people of diverse castes, religions, communities etc, which was contrarian to the Punjabi spirit of harmony and unity. Politics has its own place, but we must keep the spirit of Punjabiyat alive, he said.

Urging the protestors to keep faith in the Kisan Leaders who were engaged in talks with the Central Government to resolve the crisis triggered by the enactment of the black Farm Laws, the Chief Minister said any acts of harassment or violence were violative of the spirit of their democratic to protest peacefully. Traumatisation of the families of political leaders or workers through such acts could also lead to a law and order problem in Punjab, which had achieved the distinction of being one of the most peaceful states in the country in the past few years, he pointed out.

INCIDENTS OF MOBILE TOWERS VANDALISATION DECLINED DRASTICALLY: PUNJAB CM

January 1, 2021, 3:22 am

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, on Thursday lashed out at State BJP President Ashwani Sharma, saying that he was spreading false propaganda to further his party’s political agenda. The Punjab Chief Minister said that Ashwani Sharma’s desperate attempts to falsely project a law and order problem in Punjab reflected the BJP’s fear of complete annihilation in the upcoming civic polls.

Interacting informally with mediapersons after dedicating the Chandigarh-Kharar elevated corridor to citizens, the Chief Minister said the state BJP’s request to the Governor for postponement of the civic polls on the baseless grounds of a law and order situation collapse showed that the party leadership was in complete panic at the prospect of facing elections at a time when the people were angry at them over the new farm laws.

Faced with the wrath of the people of Punjab, Ashwani and his party colleagues were now resorting to desperate measures to wriggle out of the polls, he said. Pointing out that Punjab had been voted as the No. 1 state in India on the law and order front in the ‘States of State’ annual survey conducted by a media group, the Chief Minister said that the bogey of law and order problems in Punjab was being created by the BJP only to save itself from the anger of the farmers. Their frustration was evident from their bid to pass off pictures of his old meetings with some corporate leaders as collusion against the farmers, he added.

Dismissing the ‘atrocious’ BJP state leadership’s charges that the Congress was responsible for the damage to mobile towers and the resultant loss of studies for students, the Chief Minister asked, “Are we responsible for the farmers’ angst against the BJP? We were not the ones who enacted the Farm Laws, it was the BJP-led Central Government. We, in fact, negated them by passing the amendment bills in the Assembly.”

Noting that the number of such incidents had come down drastically following his appeals and the strict warning to those damaging property, Captain Amarinder said this clearly exposed the lies being shamelessly mouthed by Sharma. Only a couple of incidents of minor damage were reported on Thursday, he said, adding that his government would ensure that not a single case of damage takes place in the coming days. “The situation is now under control, with most of the damaged towers already repaired,” he added.

“While these incidents were unfortunate, the fact was that these were happening as a result of the spontaneous outburst of farmers as their genuine demands had not been conceded so far,” said the Chief Minister, trashing Punjab BJP leaders’ claims that the Government of India had accepted the demands of the farmers from the outset. Had their demands been conceded, the farmers would not have been sitting out in the winter chill at Delhi’s borders, the Punjab CM said, adding that the power-hungry BJP leaders had remained untouched even by the fact that some 50 protesting farmers had died, including some by suicide.

When asked to comment on the acceptance of two of the key demands of the agitating farmers by the Centre at their last round of meetings, Captain Amarinder Singh said that the issue was now between the farmers and the Government of India. He hoped the Centre would soon accede to the remaining demands of the farmers too.

Replying to a question regarding the local bodies elections in the state, the Chief Minister said that the process is already underway and the dates would be finalized and announced soon as, constitutionally, the government is bound to hold these elections before February 15, 2021.

WON’T TOLERATE DESTRUCTION OF ANY PROPERTY: PUNJAB CM ON MOBILE TOWERS

December 29, 2020, 3:20 am

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday issued a stern warning against vandalisation of mobile towers and disruption of telecom services in the state, and directed police to take strict action against all those resorting to such unlawful activities.

Making it clear that he will not tolerate destruction of any private or public property in Punjab, the Chief Minister said he was forced to toughen his stance as his repeated appeals to perpetrators of such acts had been ignored.

The Chief Minister asserted that he will not let Punjab be plunged into anarchy at any cost and nobody can be allowed to take law into their hands. Pointing out that his government had not objected to, or stopped, peaceful protests in the state against the Centre’s black farm laws for the past several months, he said that damage to property and inconvenience to the citizens could not, however, be endured.

Calling upon farmers and their supporters to put an immediate stop to such destructive activities, which were being disowned by farmer leaders themselves, the Chief Minister said disruption of telecom services could lead to a communications blackout in the state, causing its people, especially students and working professionals, to suffer serious consequences.

With examinations, especially Board exams, nearing and students dependent on online education amid the Covid pandemic, such communication breakdown could seriously affect their future, he said. The Chief Minister said his government had already distributed 1.75 lakh Smart Phones to class XII students to equip them for the Board exams, but the vandalization of telecom property was hampering the students.

The Chief Minister further said that professionals working from home, with many of them having come to Punjab during the pandemic, could lose their jobs due to such acts of violence and damage to property. Even banking services, which were also largely dependent on online transactions in these times of crisis, were taking a major hit due to these unlawful acts, he added.

The farmers’ agitation had so far been successful and had garnered the support of people from all sections of the society and across the country due to its peaceful nature, said the Chief Minister, warning that use of violence could alienate the protestors from the masses, which would be detrimental to the interests of the farming community.

While his government’s sympathies were with the agitating farmers, which was why it had also brought in state amendment Bills in the Vidhan Sabha to negate the central government’s legislations, nobody could be allowed to take law and order in their hands, said Captain Amarinder.

Of the 1,561 towers affected over the past few days, 146 were impacted since Monday morning due to disruption of power supply to 32 towers, which led to disconnection of services of the remaining 114. So far, 433 towers have been repaired, according to an official spokesperson. The state has a total of 21306 mobile towers spread across its 22 districts.

Stop maligning farmers’ genuine fight for justice: Capt Amarinder to BJP

December 28, 2020, 4:10 am

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that the BJP should stop maligning the farmers and their genuine fight for justice by calling them offensive names like “Urban Naxals”, “Khalistanis”, “Hooligans”, etc.

“If the BJP cannot distinguish between anguished citizens fighting for their survival and terrorists/militants/hooligans, it should give up all pretence of being a people’s party,” said the Chief Minister. A party which treats citizens exercising their democratic right of protest as Naxals and terrorists has lost all right to rule over those citizens, he added.

Captain Amarinder said with these remarks, the BJP leadership had hit a new low in its desperation to promote its political agenda. He pointed out that such protests by angry farmers were taking place not just in Punjab but also in BJP-ruled states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “Do the farmers protesting in all these places look like Naxals to you? And does that mean that law and order has collapsed everywhere,” he asked.

“What is being seen in all these states, as well as the Delhi borders, is the sorry fall-out of the BJP-led central government’s failed policy on Agriculture, and its mishandling of the situation triggered by the farmers protest,” said the Chief Minister. Instead of heeding the plea of the ‘Annadatas’ and responding to their concerns, the BJP was busy trying to demean them and stifle their voice, he lamented.

Pointing out that various farmer leaders had themselves appealed to agitating farmers not to disconnect power to mobile towers, the Chief Minister said this clearly showed that what was being witnessed on the ground in some places was a spontaneous manifestation of the wrath of farmers who see a dark future ahead as a result of the new farm laws. He pointed out that Kisan Unions had clearly stated that they did not want farmers to indulge in such acts. In fact, the Unions had advised all protestors, and those standing with the farmers, to port their numbers out of the network of the telecom provider whom they had decided to boycott, he added.

The Chief Minister noted that the farmer leaders themselves believed, and were stressing, that it was imperative for the success of their movement to ensure that it remains peaceful. “Is that the language of Naxals, as BJP leader Tarun Chugh is alleging?” he asked, dubbing the BJP.

In sharp contrast to the BJP, the Congress believed in upholding the people’s constitutional right of peaceful protest, which even the Supreme Court had validated in the context of the farmers’ agitation, the Chief Minister said. “But the BJP and its leaders like Chugh seem to be bent on stifling all such protests with their brazen lies and false propaganda,” he added.

The CM also took a dig at Chugh’s plea to the Union home ministry ‘to keep an eye on such developments in Punjab’, saying that it would been better for the state if the BJP leader had sought the Centre’s support in keeping any eye on the fresh spurt of terrorist movement, as well as smuggling of weapons, in Punjab.