The Fact News Service
Mohali, July 21
Continuing with its strong opposition to the government’s policy of “land pooling”, the Congress staged a massive protest in front of the Greater Mohali Development Area (GMADA) office here today.
Led by the PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, thousands of party workers, joined by senior leaders, gathered outside the office raising slogans against the land pooling policy and seeking its immediate withdrawal.
Addressing the protestors, Warring said, it was a subtle ploy of the Aam Aadmi Party government to loot and rob the farmers of their precious land. “This is not land pooling, but land looting policy”, he remarked, while asking who will hand over one acre of precious land for a thousand yards in return?
The PCC president told the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that he should have learnt from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s experience, who eventually had to surrender and withdraw the three farm laws under pressure from the farmers. “You should know, when it comes to his land, a farmer can do anything to protect it”, he cautioned the government, while expressing solidarity and support of the Congress party with the farmers in their fight against the policy.
The party also submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, to the GMADA administrator seeking immediate reversal of the policy. It said that the policy will be environmentally and economically devastating and disastrous for Punjab.
Later talking to reporters, Warring strongly defended his party’s opposition to the land pooling policy, reiterating that it was only a “land looting” scheme conceived by the AAP leaders. “What purpose does it serve?” he asked, while pointing out there is no demand from anywhere.
Replying to a question on Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar suggesting Akali-BJP alliance, the PCC president said that they (the Akalis and the BJP) were always together and had a subtle understanding.
He observed that the two parties must have realised that the ground beneath their feet has already slipped away and they cannot fight on their own. He said, even if they come together they won’t make much difference as both the parties have lost the ground in Punjab. “Zero plus zero will always add up to zero”, he remarked.
Among those present included AICC Secretary Ravinder Dalwi, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Navtej Cheema, Gurkirat Kotli,Jasbir Dimpa, Harminder Gill, Kuljeet Nagra, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Gagandeep Singh Bobby, Gurshran Kaur Randhawa, Mohit Mohindra, Kuldeep Vaid,Kaka Randeep Nabha, Ranjit Singh Jeeti and others.
