Chandigarh: A controversy has erupted over Minister of Local bodies Inderbir Singh Nijjar calling Punjabis ‘Bewakoof kaum’ in the matter of wasting Punjab’s water by planting paddy.

Political leaders have opposed the cabinet minister’s statement and asked him to take back his words and tender a public apology.

Cabinet Minister Nijjar was talking about the alarming depletion of ground water level in Punjab at the campus of Chief Khalsa Diwan here on Wednesday. He said that since electricity is free, farmers are getting water through tubewells by pressing a button and they are wasting water.

He said that earlier there was a provision of canal water and farmers had to work very hard to reach water to the fields. He termed the Punjabis as fools to bring down the ground water level in Punjab by planting paddy.

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanded an apology from the minister and wrote in a tweet, “I demand a public apology from Inderbir Nijjer Minister for humiliating Punjabi’s & farmers by calling them“Bewakoof”bcoz they sow wheat-paddy crops not realizing farmers r forced to sow these crops as govts like @BhagwantMann have failed to provide guaranteed Msp on other crops.”

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