Chandigarh/Jalandhar-Senior Congress leader and MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, today strongly condemned the brutal use of force by the Punjab Police against peacefully protesting farmers of BKU (Ugrahan), terming it a shameful and undemocratic assault on the democratic rights of the farming community.
Khaira said it was highly unfortunate that instead of engaging in dialogue and addressing the genuine concerns of farmers, the Bhagwant Mann-led government chose to respond with lathi-charge, detentions and intimidation. “This action exposes the anti government farmer mindset of the AAP government, which has betrayed the very community that forms the backbone of Punjab’s economy,” he said.
He further alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was acting at the behest of his Delhi-based supremo, Arvind Kejriwal, and was resorting to repression to silence dissent. “The growing tendency of the AAP government to suppress democratic protests reflects its intolerance and authoritarian approach,” Khaira added.
Khaira stated that the recent repeated instances of police high-handedness against various protesting groups, including teachers, farmers and other employee unions clearly demonstrate that the AAP government has turned Punjab into a virtual Police State where no one is allowed to dissent or criticise the establishment. “The systematic use of force to silence legitimate voices of protest is dangerous for democracy and undermines the constitutional right to peaceful agitation,” he asserted.
Khaira emphasised that Punjab has a proud legacy of farmers’ movements and warned that any attempt to crush peaceful protests through police force would only deepen resentment and mistrust among the farming community. “Farmers are not criminals; they are our ancestors and deserve respect, justice and meaningful dialogue, not batons and barricades,” he said.
The Bholath MLA demanded the immediate release of all detained farmers, withdrawal of cases registered against them and the initiation of a constructive dialogue to resolve their issues at the earliest.