Farmer leaders claim 'livid' Punjab CM 'walked out' of meeting, stick to Chandigarh sit-in call

Chandigarh: Talks between the Punjab government and Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders to discuss farmers' demands broke down midway on Monday with farmer leaders claiming a "livid" Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann "walked out of the meeting in a huff without any provocation".

However, Mann said his doors are always open for talks with the farmers, but inconvenience and harassment of the public in the name of agitation should be avoided.

Following the two-hour-long meeting with the chief minister that remained inconclusive, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders announced to go ahead with their call for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5.

The state government had invited the SKM leaders for a meeting with Chief Minister Mann at the Punjab Bhawan here ahead of their planned protest.

After the meeting, Mann said he appealed to all the farmer leaders not to block roads or squat on railway tracks, as such actions cause inconvenience to the people.

In a statement, Mann said the government is always ready to resolve the issues pertaining to various sections of society through negotiations, and causing trouble to the common man through rail or road blockades must be avoided.

The chief minister said such actions cause problems to the general public due to which they turn against the agitators, thereby creating discord in the society.

Mann also said that though protest is the democratic right of the farmers, they should also think the huge loss it may cause to the state.

Traders and industrialists have been ruing that due to the frequent road and rail blockades (in Punjab), their businesses have been ruined, Mann said, as he appealed to the farmers to avoid such tactics that create discord in the society.

Though the state government is with the farmers, the demands of the food growers concern the Union government, Mann said.

Speaking to mediapersons, the SKM leaders lashed out at Mann for "walking out" of the meeting without any provocation, saying such behaviour "ill behoves" a chief minister.

SKM leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the discussions with the chief minister were going on smoothly.

Discussions on half of the demands had taken place when Mann requested the farmer leaders not to hold 'dharnas' or sit on roads, he said.

"He (Mann) asked us whether we will go ahead with our March 5 programme," Ugrahan said.

After discussions on 8-9 out of the 18 demands took place, Mann said he had an infection in his eye for which he needed to go, he said.

"We had asked before the meeting how much time did the chief minister have, to which he (Mann) said he had ample time," Ugrahan claimed.

The chief minister reportedly told the farmer leaders that he had invited them for the meeting, while the latter contended that every government calls them for a meeting ahead of any protest call.

Mann then walked out of the meeting, Ugrahan claimed, adding that the chief minister gave only one assurance which was paddy sowing would start from June 1.

Another farmer leader, Buta Singh Burjgill, claimed that Mann told the SKM leaders that if they went ahead with their March 5 sit-in call, the discussions on demands held during the meeting will not be considered.

Another farmer leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal, even accused the chief minister of trying to threaten the farmers.

Burjgill said it was for the first time that a chief minister got "provoked" this way, pointing at the many meetings the farmer leaders held with former Punjab chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi.

"He (Mann) got provoked without any reason. It was not good on his part," Burjgill said.

Rajewal called it "regrettable" that a person holding the chief minister's chair would "challenge" the farmers to "go ahead with their programme on March 5".

"I regret that the chief minister of a state got provoked over such a small thing. Nothing happened that could have provoked him. The discussions were going on in a cordial atmosphere.

"Half of the agendas were not even discussed when he (Mann) said he had an eye infection for which he had to leave. He then asked us what would we do on March 5. We didn't even reply but he got angry. He said go ahead (with your plan) for March 5," Rajewal said.

"It does not behove a chief minister," he added.

Mann, meanwhile, said it was unfortunate that the farmers still wanted to protest in the state "for no reason" related to the Punjab government.

The chief minister said he was the custodian of the rights of every strata of the state and their interests will be secured by all ways and means.

The state government has already rejected the draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing framed by the Centre, he said, adding that the Punjab government has prepared a draft agriculture policy for the state.

Suggestions have been asked from all the stakeholders and the policy will be finalised once the replies are received within 20 days, he said.

While Ugrahan said the farmers will go ahead with their Chandigarh sit-in call, the city administration is yet to allot a place for the proposed protest.

The SKM, which led the 2020 agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws, is demanding withdrawal of the Centre's draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) as per the Swaminathan Commission report, implementation of the state's agriculture policy, and purchase of six crops, including basmati, maize, moong and potato, at MSP by the state government, among others.