Extending his government’s full support to the agitating farmers, Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh assured of all possible legal and other steps to fight the new farm laws, including a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to discuss and decide the way forward.
Chairing a meeting with representatives of 31 farmer unions to take their views on the matter, the CM said he would be discussing the issue with his legal team to finalise the next steps, including challenging the farm laws in the Supreme Court.
Besides farmer representatives, AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat attended the meeting, along with Ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and Advocate General Atul Nanda. “We will take all possible steps to counter the Union Government’s assault on the state’s federal and Constitutional rights, and will fight for the interests of the farmers,” Captain Amarinder assured the farmer representatives. If the legal experts advise amendment to the state laws to fight the central laws, a special Assembly session will be immediately called to do so, he said.
He made it clear that the government had no qualms about convening an Assembly session if that was the best course in the circumstances. However, he trashed SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s demand for the session saying that where were the Akalis in the last session and why Sukhbir did not support the other parties at the all-party meet.