Chandigarh, February 2 - Punjab Chief Minister CaptainAmarinder Singh on Tuesday said his government will bring the State AmendmentBills to negate the draconian Farm Laws again in the Vidhan Sabha since theGovernor had failed to send the earlier Bills to the President.
“We will bring the Bills again as the Constitution provides thatif Bills are passed twice by the Vidhan Sabha they have to be sent by theGovernor to the President,” he said, adding that the Governor should not havesat over the Bills. The state was empowered to amend the laws under Article 254(ii) of the Constitution, he further said.
Pointing out that the President had refused to meet Punjableaders following the passage of the Bills in the Vidhan Sabha on the groundthat he had not received the Bills, the Chief Minister told the all-partymeeting that he will seek time again from the President. He said he was alsoconstantly in touch with the Union Home Minister on the issue of the Farm Lawsand the farmer protests, as suggested by the Prime Minister.
Underlining the need for early resolution of the crisis, theChief Minister warned said the threat from Pakistan could not be undermined.His focus on security threats stemmed from his awareness of the gravechallenges to Punjab, he added. “We have to work to resolve this issue beforethings go out of hand,” he said, adding that he knew how many drones, arms andammunition were being smuggled into the state from across the border.
Recalling how, soon after prolonged 2-month negotiations onan earlier Punjab crisis, relating to a list of some 42 demands, Operation Bluestarhappened, the Chief Minister warned that “If anger builds here, it will beexploited.”
Pointing out the voice of the people is the strongest in ademocracy, the Chief Minister stressed that “we will have to raise a unitedvoice of Punjab.” If there is no peace here, no industry will come, he furthersaid. The Chief Minister slammed the Centre for penalising Punjab, and saidthey still owe the state Rs 13000 crores of GST, which they have held back,along with Rs. 1200 crores of RDF.
Captain Amarinder promised to look into SAD’s Prem SinghChandumajra’s suggestion that the state government should provide loan waiverto the families of all those killed during the ongoing farmers’ agitation.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Minister earlier assertedthe meeting had been convened to evolve a consensus and send out the messagethat the whole of Punjab was with the agitating farmers, who have fed thenation right since the Green Revolution. Regretting that New Delhi had failedto listen to the voice of Punjab and its farmers, he said that the Centre,instead of seeing the pain and discomfort of the farmers braving the cold atDelhi borders, seemed to have hardened their stance against the farmers.