Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh slammed all the opposition parties in the state for "playing politics" with the lives of the farmers.
Asserting that he was not scared of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or anyone else, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed all the opposition parties in the state for "playing politics" with the lives of the farmers to further their "own interests".
This comes amid Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders targetted Punjab Chief Minister over the ongoing farmers' protest against three farm laws.
He and the entire Congress was solid with the farmers and the Centre must listen to them and accept their demands, said the Chief Minister, lambasting all the key opposition players, right from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders Prakash Singh Badal, Sukhbir and Harsimrat, to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for their "flip-flops and for making a mockery of the fight of the farmers, who were sitting out in the cold on the roads to get their rightful due."
"For 13 years, I have been going to courts because of the cases initiated against me by the Badals, I am not bothered about the ED. I can go to courts and fight for another 13 years," Singh said as per Chief Minister's Office (CMO) release.
The Chief Minister's response comes after former union minister Harsimrat Badal alleged that he was under ED pressure. "All these Badals are alike, and they are all liars. Akali leaders should stop lying and tell the truth as the people know what you are," he said.
The Punjab Chief Minister met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged the Centre to rethink its stand on the legislations while appealing to the farmers to find an early solution to the problem that was adversely impacting the "economy of the state and also posing a serious danger to national security".
Commenting upon his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Thursday, Chief Minister said, "I had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the amendment bills passed in Punjab Vidhan Sabha were the solution to breaking the deadlock over the farmers' issue as they were the essence of the state's future. I urged him to get the Bills approved by the President."
While reacting to former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's decision to return the Padma Bhushan medal to the Government of India, Singh in a live video statement on Facebook said, "I do not know why Prakash Singh Badal got the Padma Bhushan in the first place."
Noting that Gen Harbaksh Singh had got Padma Vibhushan for winning the 1965 war, Captain Amarinder asked "What war did Parkash Singh Badal fight or what sacrifice did he make for the community. Stop politicking on this...these theatrics might have worked 40 years ago but they won't work now."
"All his life Prakash Singh Badal has been claiming that he represents the interests of the farmers. Then why did his party support the central Ordinances after initially opposing them, and then did an about-turn and started publicly criticising the legislations?" remarked the Chief Minister.
Captain Amarinder pointed out that as a member of the Union Cabinet, Harsimrat Kaur Badal had been very much a part of the meeting that passed the farm ordinances.
"Is she illiterate that she can't read?" he asked.
Harsimrat Badal, in a counterattack, corrected the Chief Minister, saying Prakash Singh Badal had won the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, not the third-highest Padma Bhushan.
"Call me illiterate if that floats your boat, but I'm amused that you despite being so 'literate' don't know the difference between Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Never mind! But calling our peacefully protesting Annadata a 'threat to national security' is highly shameful," she tweeted.
Lashing out at his Delhi counterpart Kejriwal for twisting his statement on national security, the Chief Minister said it was clearly made in reference to Pakistan and as Home Minister of Punjab, it was his duty to apprise the Union Home Minister of the dangers of the prolonged agitation.
"Kejriwal nu jhooth bolan di aadat hai, aur Khattar nu kuttan di," (Kejriwal is in the habit of lying and ML Khattar is in the habit of thrashing), said the Chief Minister, taking on both, his Haryana and Delhi counterparts on their actions amid the farmers' protests.
He alleged that old farmers were not spared by the Khattar government in Haryana.
(With agency inputs)
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