Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism after food minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu's recent remarks about the Punjab government allowing farmers from other states to sell produce in the state amid ongoing protests against the new Farm Laws.
Reacting to the media reports accusing Capt. Singh of having double standards towards farmers, Singh said the reports are not only irresponsible but also mischievous.
The Claim
It all started after Cabinet Minister Ashu's remarks during a press conference on Monday, where he said the Punjab government allowed farmers from other states to sell their produce in the state. Following which, AAP Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann alleged that Capt Singh and PM Modi are working together on agriculture laws, which have been labeled anti-farmers drawing nationwide protests.
Ashu's statements sparked outrage across the country as Punjab has been the epicenter of protests against the farmers. The accusations against the Punjab CM went as far as Capt Singh trying to save his son Raninder from ED cases.
"The lie of Captain government that the crop from outside states will not be allowed to be sold in Punjab has also been exposed as his own minister has stated that due to these laws, the crop coming from other regions was not stopped. Capt Amarinder should publicly apologise to the people of Punjab for lying to them," Mann had accused.
Fact-check
Following the serious allegations against the Punjab CM based on remarks made by his cabinet minister, Capt. Singh has responded. He lashed out at the media for twisting Ashu's statement and said it was irresponsible and mischievous.
Capt. Singh further added that Punjab was the first state to oppose the farm laws while starting the process of amend bills to negate the impact of agriculture on farm laws.
"We will do whatever possible to help the farmers and their families, for whom the state government had already started two helplines on which they could reach out in case of any emergency," the Chief Minister said. "The farmers have made their stand very clear - that the laws should be repealed. It is the job of the government of India to listen to them."
International Business Times, India, found the accusations of Punjab implanting new farm laws in the state while also publicly protesting against them as baseless and misleading.
