Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday termed the Centre’s decision to repeal all three black farm laws as much delayed but a welcome step. CM Channi, however said had Prime Minister Narendra Modi taken this decision much earlier several precious lives would have been saved.
Blaming the Centre for thrusting these black farm laws arbitrarily on the farmers without taking them into confidence, CM Channi categorically said, “The BJP led Central government should admit on record to have made an Himalayan blunder in bringing these bills for which it hardly bothered to even relent for the past one and half years.”
Notably, the farmers’ agitation on the Delhi borders and across the state has so far claimed nearly 700 lives during unparalleled struggle to safeguard their rights to secure livelihood and future of their generations.
CM Channi said that incidents like Lakhimpur Kheri which happened during the struggle has put a slur on the fair name of democracy and the people will never forgive BJP led Central government for its misdeeds.
Pointing out further, CM Channi said that now when the Prime Minister has announced to withdraw these draconian farm laws he should compensate the farmers adequately for the humungous losses of life and property suffered by them. Likewise, he also sought compensation for the state on account of financial and property losses during the Kisan Morcha. He, however, said that state government has already provided government jobs to the victim families of farmers besides financial assistance of Rs.5 lakh to each family of the deceased farmer, who sacrificed lives in the farm agitation.