Manmohan Singh evokes farm protest struggles, asks ‘warrior’ Punjabis to vote for Cong
Former PM accuses Modi government of castigating Punjab and Punjabis in its 10-year rule and refusing state its share of funds
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday (May 30) appealed to the voters of Punjab, to cast their votes for the Congress to ensure a growth-oriented future for the state.
Punjab will vote in a single phase in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1.
‘Punjabis are warriors’
In a written appeal to the voters of Punjab ahead of the elections, Singh asserted that only the Congress can bring a growth-oriented progressive future where democracy and Constitution will be safeguarded.
“Punjab and Punjabis are warriors. We are known for our spirit of sacrifice. Our indomitable courage and innate belief in the democratic ethos of inclusiveness, harmony, amity, and brotherhood can protect our great nation,” the Congress leader said.
Accusing Prime Minister Modi of resorting to hate and divisive speeches, and the BJP of polarising communities during its rule, Singh said the saffron party-led Centre has left no stone unturned in the past 10 years in “castigating Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiyat.”
‘Modi govt called protesting farmers parasites’
Citing the example of the massive farmers’ protest near Delhi’s borders in 2020-21 against the Centre’s now-withdrawn farm laws in which 750 farmers had died, Singh said Modi further insulted farmers by calling them parasites.
“Seven hundred and fifty farmers, mostly belonging to Punjab, were martyred while incessantly waiting at Delhi borders, for months together. As if the lathis and the rubber bullets were not enough, none less than the Prime Minister verbally assaulted our farmers by calling them ‘andolanjeevis’ and ‘parjeevi’ (parasites) on the floor of the Parliament. Their only demand was the withdrawal of the three farm laws imposed on them without consulting them,” Singh said.
‘I followed cooperative spirit of federalism as PM’
Talking about the time when he was prime minister, Singh said even though the coalition government of BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal ruled Punjab at that time, he followed the spirit of cooperative federalism to provide the rightful share of resources to the state and its people.
“On the other hand, for five years, when the Congress party was in power (in Punjab), the BJP government at the Centre was consistent in denying funds to Punjab. Whether they were meant for debt restructuring, a legacy issue of the previous BJP-Akali government, or for farm loan waiver, or the pending wage liabilities for MGNREGA,” he said.
“The Congress-UPA government had provided a loan waiver worth ₹72,000 crore to ₹3.73 crore to farmers, increased the MSP, widened its spectrum, increased production, while encouraging exports. All this resulted in double the growth in agriculture in our period, as compared to the last ten years,” he said.
‘Congress will abolish Agniveer scheme’
Referring to the age-old tradition of Punjabi families sending their sons to the armed forces, Singh said the Centre’s Agniveer scheme has ensured that this custom doesn’t continue anymore.
“The BJP government imposed an ill-conceived Agniveer scheme on our armed forces…The youth of Punjab, the son of the farmer, who dreams of serving the motherland through the armed forces, is now thinking twice about getting recruited only for a four-year stint. Agniveer scheme endangers national security. Congress party has therefore promised to abolish the Agniveer scheme,” he said.
