S.A.S. Nagar: Senior Congress leader and former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said here today that there is a lot of enthusiasm among the people regarding the dharna organized by the Congress party on July 21 outside the headquarters of Gamada (Greater Mohali Area Development Authority) to cancel the new land pooling policy. He said that the unprecedented crowd on that day will open the eyes of the government. There is widespread resentment among the people against this anti-farmer policy and they will participate in this dharna in large numbers.In his written press statement, Mr. Sidhu said that during his rounds in the villages for the last three days, he realized that especially the small farmers are in a mood of struggle considering this policy as a matter of life and death. It is now clear to them that this policy will evict them from the lands and make them labourers. He said that in the villages he visited, people have assured that they will join the dharna in large numbers. The people of the village are making all the arrangements including vehicles at their own level.
The Congress leader alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government’s intention is to take land from farmers without proper compensation and sell them to big business houses, industrial groups and multinational companies—so that in the last year of the tenure, the people can be tricked into winning votes with free-for-all schemes. He said that the Congress party will not allow this anti-people plan to succeed at any cost, as Punjab is already under a debt of about four lakh crore rupees.
Mr. Sidhu further said that this dharna will be addressed by Punjab Congress President Raja Amarinder Singh Warding, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa, members of Lok Sabha and Assembly and all senior leaders of the party. He said that public outrage arising from this sit-in will force the government to withdraw this anti-people policy.