The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, October 31
Youth Akali Dal, under the leadership of its president Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer, today held state-wide protests in grain markets of every district of Punjab against the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government and BJP-led Central Government for their bad policies, which have forced the Annadatas of Punjab to celebrate this Diwali as Black Diwali.
The members of Youth Akali Dal, wearing black bands, held up banners saying ‘Saadi Kahdi Diwali, Kissana Di Kali Diwali’ and took out protest marches in different Anaj Mandis of Punjab.
The protesters blamed both governments for not lifting paddy being brought in mandis by farmers.
Youth Akali Dal President Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer, who participated in the protest held at Patiala Anaj Mandi, said, “Both the central and Punjab governments have failed our annadatas. Our farmers have been suffering in mandis as the government isn’t purchasing the paddy crop being brought in; heaps of crops are lying everywhere even after a month of the season officially starting. Procurement isn’t being done, forcing our farmers to sell their produce to private players way below the MSP.”
Jhinjer further lashed out at the government, saying, “The current situation is so poor that while our farmers aren’t getting their due money for their crops, they are also being forced to buy DAP at much higher prices, as it is being sold at black. You see the irony – farmers are getting less money than they deserve and are being forced to shell out more to buy DAP than the market rate. Even adequate bardana isn’t available to our farmers, and still, it’s astonishing to see both the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party playing the blame game and claiming that they have done their part properly.”
The YAD president further said, “It’s blatantly clear that both these governments are doing all this purposefully to force our farmers to opt for private players and, in turn, are helping their corporate friends for want of election funding. While ministers and their families are celebrating Diwali and these festivals, our farmers have been forced to spend these festive days also in mandis taking care of their produce, as the government isn’t procuring it.”
Jhinjer further informed, “Today, the Youth Akali Dal, under the guidance of SAD working president S. Balwinder Singh Bhunder ji, is holding these protests in mandis of every district of Punjab to wake the sleeping government out of its slumber. I myself am a farmer first and am experiencing similar pain personally, as my crop is also lying in mandi from the last 10 days.”
Reminiscing about the Shiromani Akali Dal government, the YAD president said, “S. Parkash Singh Badal remained the CM of Punjab for 5 times; during the Akali rule, our farmers never had to suffer in mandis, as their crops would be procured within 24 hours. Badal saab, himself being a farmer, knew about the struggles of farming and always put our farmers in priority; he was the one who always took pro-farmer decisions.”
The Patiala Protest was organised by District President of Youth Akali Dal Amritpal Singh Lang and Karanbir Singh Sahni, where YAD President was accompanied by General Secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal Gurpreet Singh Raju Khanna, SGPC executive member Surjit Singh Garhi, District Urban President Amit Singh Rathi and state level senior office bearers of Youth Akali Dal.
