As the protesting farmers from Punjab gear up to march towards Delhi on Wednesday morning as part of their ongoing ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest, criticism against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s role in the negotiations has escalated. Even as Mann played the role of a mediator to resolve the prevailing issues raised by the farmers, all the opposition parties have intensified their attack against the Aam Aadmi Party leader after the farmers outfits rejected the Centre’s proposal regarding diversification and procurement.
Wasting no time, opposition parties criticized the Chief Minister for his alleged mishandling of the negotiations and for failing to adequately represent the interests of the state's farmers. The criticism against Mann also extended to his handling of other matters related to the farmers' agitation.
A day after the farmers outrightly rejected the Centre’s proposal, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar expressed disappointment while attributing the blame to Mann’s involvement.
Jakhar asserted that Mann’s vested interests in the talks' failure were evident, as it allowed him to discredit the BJP-led Central Government and redirect farmers towards Delhi, undermining the sincere efforts of both sides to find a resolution.
Accusing Mann of colluding with the BJP against farmers, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring highlighted instances of police brutality and social media restrictions allegedly orchestrated by the Punjab Government.
Party colleague and former Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also condemned Mann’s actions, labeling him as a “pawn of the Centre” and urging him to cease being manipulated by the Central Government’s agenda.
Also blaming Mann for the breakdown in talks, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) emphasized the farmers’ right to peaceful protest, urging the Central Government to refrain from suppressing their voices. “Chief Minister’s double talk during negotiations had failed the farming community and forced them on the path of agitation,” said senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, while appealing to the Central Government not to try to muzzle the peaceful protest of farmers.
“In a democracy, peaceful protest is a fundamental right and farmers should be allowed to peacefully proceed to Delhi,” he added.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a day before, had criticized Mann for failing to protect farmers from police violence and demanded accountability for the officials responsible.
As tensions escalate, all eyes are on the unfolding developments as farmers march towards Delhi, demanding justice and resolution to their long-standing grievances.
The decision of Punjab’s protesting farmers to intensify their agitation by marching towards Delhi comes after the fourth round of talks between farmer union leaders and Central Government ministers failed to yield any concrete results. The talks, held on Monday, concluded with the farmer leaders rejecting the government's offers, particularly its proposal to provide MSP for only a select few crops, including cotton, maize, lentils, pigeon peas, and chickpeas.
While the government's proposal was seen as a step forward by some, many farmer leaders, including those from Punjab, remained steadfast in their demand for a legal guarantee of MSP for all 23 crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. They argued that anything short of this would not address the fundamental concerns of the farming community, which has been grappling with issues such as mounting debt, declining income, and lack of government support.
