The Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann once again called on the Central government to talk with the protesting farmers, hearing their several demands, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
Writing in a post on X, she stated, "The central government should abandon its old stubbornness and open the way for talks with the farmers' organizations. A cat does not run away when a pigeon winks. I don't know what penance the central government is doing now?? If Modi ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can't he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 kilometers away? What time are you waiting for."
Farmers led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border since November 26 to put pressure on the Centre to accept the farmers' demands.
Doctors have described Dallewal's health condition as "critical" as his fast entered the 29th day on Tuesday.
Later, in a statement, Mann slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for "meting out step-motherly treatment to the farmers by not even giving them an opportunity to air their genuine demands".
The chief minister alleged that "self proclaimed global leader Narendra Modi is more worried about intervening in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine but is apathetic towards the food growers of the country".
Mann said the Union government has been "blatantly ignoring" the genuine demands of the farmers of the country which is highly "deplorable".
"Unfortunately, the prime minister is more worried about emerging as 'global leader' by intervening in international affairs rather than resolving the issues faced by the countrymen," the AAP leader said.
The chief minister reminded Modi that when the country was facing a serious crisis of food production, the hard-working and resilient farmers of the state had made the country self-reliant in grains.
He said the farmers of the state had even over exploited the only available natural resources in terms of fertile soil and water, to fill the national food pool.
Mann said that despite the immense contribution of farmers, "the Union government has adopted a completely hostile attitude towards them".
"Strangely, the Union government is not ready to talk to farmers sitting 200 kilometres away from the national capital," he further said in the statement.
He said that the Centre should not wait for any special moment to talk to the farmers, "rather it should embrace the farmers and redress their grievances".
Mann said it is the need of the hour that the issues of the farmers are addressed at the earliest in the larger public interest.
On December 19 too, Mann urged the Centre to hold talks with the protesting farmers. He had said any issue could be resolved through dialogue.
Follow us
