Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified, with Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accusing the saffron party of allegedly protecting gangsters and deliberately defaming Punjab's farmers.
Taking a strong dig at the BJP, Cheema claimed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was being treated like a “state guest” in a BJP-ruled state. He alleged that gangsters were being used to intimidate people through threatening phone calls in states governed by opposition parties, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Cheema said Punjab Police had arrested several notorious gangsters and assured that they would face punishment under the law. He further alleged that the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal had created and nurtured gangster networks in the past. He said eliminating these networks and bringing those involved to justice remained a key objective of the Punjab government.
Cheema Calls BJP Anti-Punjab and Anti-Farmer
The Finance Minister also accused the BJP of being anti-Punjab and anti-farmer, alleging that the party leaves no opportunity to malign the state's farming community.
Questioning the selective focus on Punjab over stubble burning, Cheema pointed out that paddy is also cultivated in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where crop residue burning is reported. He argued that farmers in Punjab were being unfairly targeted despite stubble-burning smoke reportedly affecting areas hundreds of kilometres away.
He alleged that the BJP's attitude towards Punjab's farmers was linked to their significant participation in the protest against the now-repealed farm laws. According to Cheema, the party was attempting to defame the farming community as political retaliation for its role in the farmers' agitation.
AAP Rejects BJP Leader Kapil Mishra's Claims
The Punjab government also strongly rejected allegations made by BJP leader Kapil Mishra, with Cheema accusing him of making completely false statements.
Questioning the BJP's stand on stubble burning, Cheema asked which parties were in power in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and why farmers in these states were not being discussed with the same intensity.
In a sarcastic response, he questioned whether smoke from stubble burning in Haryana travelled to Pakistan while smoke from Punjab reached Delhi after passing over Haryana. He also asked whether smoke was being transported in bags or vehicles across a distance of nearly 300 kilometres.
Cheema further questioned whether paddy cultivation was restricted to Punjab, pointing out that Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also cultivate paddy and witness instances of stubble burning.
Punjab Government Highlights Stubble Management Efforts
Defending the AAP government's efforts, Cheema said that over the past five years, the Punjab government had provided farmers with the necessary machinery and equipment for effective stubble management.
He maintained that the responsibility for tackling air pollution should not be placed exclusively on Punjab's farmers and called for a broader examination of agricultural practices across neighbouring states.
The remarks have further intensified the political debate between the AAP and BJP over gangsterism, stubble burning and the treatment of Punjab's farmers.
