Don’t be stubborn, talk to farmers: Punjab CM Mann to Centre
Mann said it is the Centre’s duty to talk to the farmers, adding that any issue can only be resolved through dialogue.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the central government should set aside its “stubbornness” and initiate talks with farmers to address their concerns. Any issue can only be resolved through constructive conversation, he said.
Mann was addressing mediapersons after holding a roadshow in Ludhiana in support of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates contesting the Municipal Corporation elections. He ducked when asked if he would meet Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)-Sidhupur’s state president and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been observing fast-unto-death in support of farmers’ demands, including minimum support price, since November 26.
Earlier, while addressing the roadshow Mann targeted opposition parties, stating that people are hesitant to even shake hands with leaders from those parties for fear of losing their rings. “These parties have betrayed the trust of the people for years. It’s time to clean the system with the broom and give Ludhiana the governance it truly deserves,” he said.
Targeting the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Mann said, “Those who committed sins in the name of God are now witnessing their election symbols erased from voting machines.”
Mann contrasted AAP’s commitment to progress with the previous administration’s failures, asserting, “Earlier, municipal corporations never focused on development. The funds belonged to the people, yet they weren’t utilised for public welfare. Under AAP, every penny will be spent for the betterment of the people.
He termed Ludhiana it his ‘karmabhoomi’ (workplace). He reminisced about his early career, which began in the bustling markets of Ludhiana.
AAP’s Punjab president Aman Arora, working president Amansher Singh Sharry Kalsi, party ministers, Ludhiana MLAs and a large number of AAP office-bearers accompanied the CM during the roadshow.
The CM recalled AAP’s achievements in three years, including providing 50,000 government jobs, reducing electricity bills to zero for many households, and implementing robust infrastructure projects. He also talked about the government’s policy of ‘one MLA, one pension’. “He criticised previous regimes for burdening the public with multiple pensions for politicians who served in various terms.
