Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Chandigarh, September 14, 2013: Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa today asked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to rise above his anti minority stand and follow the footsteps of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who has brought a legislation in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha ensuring that no Sikh farmer would be displaced from his state. The Sikh farmers in Gujarat were however denied justice by Modi.
The PPCC President complimented Hooda for his pro-farmer stance. The step taken by Hooda was a fine example of political acumen.
Bajwa said that it was shameful that Modi was nominated BJP candidate for the post of Prime Minister despite his firm stand against the minority communities. He advised Modi to come out of communal and anti-minority mind set and prove his credentials of being national leader by ensuring justice to 50,000 Sikh farmers of Gujarat. He demanded from the Gujarat Govt. to withdraw the Special Leave Petition filed in the Supreme Court before the Supreme Court gives its verdict.
Bajwa said that Punjab BJP leaders had tied to shield Modi by raising the similar stance of Sikh farmers in Haryana. He said that Haryana Chief Minister immediately came to the rescue of farmers and gave them ownership rights of land which they were given on ‘Patta’( lease) by late Chief Minister of Joint Punjab Partap Singh Kairon. He said that farmers in Gujarat were also given land by the former Prime Minister Late Lal Bahadur Shastri after 1965 war with Pakistan to defend the borders. He described the move to displace them after 50 years was anti-national and criminal act.
Bajwa said that thousands of Sikh families belonging to 26 villages of Pehowa and Ghula areas, were facing a similar situation as that of Gujarat. The lease of the land of these Sikh farmers had expired since 1972 and that these farmers had even lost their case right up to the Supreme Court of India. He said that Gujarat farmers had won the case from Gujarat High Court but Mr. Modi remained adamant on his stand of dislocating the Sikh farmers from Kutch area.
PPCC President said that he had already strongly taken up the issue of farmers of Haryana with Hooda. He said that he had also taken up the issue of Gujarat farmers up to Prime Minister level but BJP government in Gujarat was no ready to withdraw the SLP from Supreme Court. He said that it was more shameful for the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who declares himself champion of farmers but show no guts to even discuss the problem of Sikh farmers with Modi.