Senior BJP leader and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh expressed strong condemnation towards the Haryana Police for their violent treatment of a farmer during the ongoing farm protest at the Khanauri border. The injured farmer, Pritpal Singh, is currently undergoing treatment at PGIMER in Chandigarh. Singh urged Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar to take strict action against the responsible policemen.
"I strongly condemn the barbaric act of violence committed by the Haryana Police on our young farmer Pritpal Singh," said Singh, former Punjab chief minister. He further added, "I urge Haryana CM @mlkhattar to take strict action against the policemen who are guilty of badly beating up an unarmed youngster who was just serving langar to people."
'Farmers Will Burn Effigies Of WTO, Centre': Farmer Leader Sarwan Singh Pandher
Meanwhile, Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, speaking at a seminar held by protesting farmers on the WTO agreement at the Shambhu border, reiterated their demand to remove the agriculture sector from the World Trade Organization agreement, news agency PTI reported. Pandher announced plans to burn effigies of the WTO and the Centre on February 26.
Farmer leaders once again condemned the Haryana Police's actions, with Baldev Singh Sirsa highlighting the circumstances of Pritpal Singh's assault. "We strongly condemn the police action," said Sirsa, emphasising the severity of Pritpal Singh's injuries, as quoted by PTI's report.
Pandher urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and address the demands of the protesting farmers. He called for action against policemen involved in such incidents, emphasising the need to break the deadlock in talks between the Centre and farmer leaders.
"Before 1995, India used to go according to its own independent agricultural policy, but things changed when India entered WTO," said Pandher.
He contended that the rationale being given is that if a legal guarantee on crop MSP is given, it will lead to spiralling of prices, which he said the farmers don't agree will happen. "On the contrary, on the crops where there is no MSP, they are more costly. Till the time the government of India does not take out the agriculture sector from WTO policy, farmers of the country will not get justice," he remarked, as per PTI.
The ongoing deadlock was underscored by the inconclusive fourth meeting between Union ministers and farmer leaders on February 18. Meanwhile, the delay in the cremation of Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed in clashes at Khanauri last Wednesday, adds to the tensions as farmer leaders demand justice.
The seminar on the WTO agreement highlighted concerns over its impact on farmers. Pandher criticised India's shift in agricultural policy after joining the WTO in 1995, arguing that it has disadvantaged farmers. He emphasised the need for the government to address farmers' grievances to ensure justice, the report mentioned.
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