Six days after Akali Dal severed ties with the BJP over agricultural laws, the newly appointed national secretary general of the saffron party, Tarun Chugh, said on Friday that the party will contest all 117 seats in the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab. .
The state will have a BJP prime minister, said Chugh, who was congratulated by the party’s base in Amritsar after being appointed national secretary general.
“We need to start the groundwork with new energy as the countdown has started,” he added.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) broke its 24-year alliance with the BJP last Saturday citing “injustice against farmers, Sikhs, Punjab and the Punjabi language.” He also accused the BJP government in the Center of pushing through the three laws on agricultural reforms without consulting with the party. The BJP has denied the charge and called on party leaders and workers to inform farmers of the anticipated “benefits” of the three laws, while exposing alleged attempts by the Opposition to mislead farmers about the theme.
On Friday, Chugh was interrupted near the village of Harsha Chhina in the Amritsar district, where he had gone to speak about the “benefits” of farm laws.
Also read: Cong is likely to extend against farm laws
Chugh was addressing the villagers at the farm of BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina when protesting farmers led by Sakattar Singh Kotla of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee interrupted him. However, he continued with his speech which was broadcast live on Facebook.
While police kept the agitators in check, Chugh told the meeting that farm laws will improve the lives of farmers.
Also read: In Punjab, government employees will face action if agricultural fires are detected on their rented land.
When the BJP leaders left the scene, agitated farmers stopped their vehicles amid slogans. The two offered to speak to the protesters, but they refused. Chugh assured another group of farmers that the minimum support price (MSP) of crops will be maintained. Chhina asked them to form a joint committee of 31 farmers’ organizations to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about her apprehensions regarding the laws.
BJP deputy and Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans offered on Friday that farmers’ problems related to the new laws should be discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party’s national chairman JP Nadda. Hans, who hails from Jalandhar, said by phone that they had assured the farmers’ unions etc. to arrange their meeting with Nadda and Modi.
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