Lashing out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its demand to deploy Punjab Police force for the protection of agitating farmers at Delhi’s borders, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that “Arvind Kejriwal’s party had clearly lost all sense of constitutional and legal propriety”, and was “ignorant even on the law laid down by the highest court of the land”.
Captain Amarinder’s strong reaction came in response to the AAP’s letter to him, calling for police protection of the protesting farmers from Punjab. AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday wrote a letter to the Punjab CM, demanding him to deploy police security at protesting campsites to ensure the safety of the farmers while alleging that “BJP goons engineered and executed attack on farmers”.
The Punjab CM pointed out that as per the Union Home Ministry directive and Supreme Court order, the Punjab Police cannot stay in another state for more than 72 hours even for a protectee. “So, this would mean that even if I sign an order today declaring some, if not all, farmers out there as protectees, (which is really neither feasible nor realistic), that would mean the Punjab Police can only be with them for 72 hours and not more,” he added.
AAP MLA from Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, Chadha in a letter said, “AAP demands that you deploy Punjab Police in sufficient numbers to surround the camps where the peaceful protests are being held from all sides.”
“The Punjab police must provide protection to our farmer sisters and brothers so no harm is done to them and they can continue to protest against the black farm laws in a peaceful manner,” the letter said, adding: “While we understand that until now you have turned a blind eye to the plight of the farmers, it is a matter of great shock and surprise that we are having to bring it to your attention that they are under threat of physical violence and attack from goons of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
The AAP leader further said, “Had the AAP been in power, we would have already deployed Punjab police, instead of spreading lies and betraying our farmer.”
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since 26 November against the newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.