SAD urges farmer outfits, Cong not to 'play politics'

The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today urged a section of farmer organisations as well as Punjab Congress not to "play politics" over the woes of the farming community.
In a statement here, senior SAD leaders and MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundur and Prem Singh Chandumajra said farmer organisations, particularly the BKU Ekta, Ugrahan and few others were trying to "sow discord" in the peasantry for vested interests.
Stating that these organisations have earlier also used the same tactics to "destabilize" the social order, SAD MPs urged the government to continue to address genuine demands of farmers but stand firm against any attempt to disturb the social fabric in the state.

Attacking the Congress state unit, the SAD leaders said that, "Punjab Congress leaders, who have lost their standing in public life, suffered further ridicule when they were snubbed by protesting farmer organisations, following damage to cotton crop."
Taking a jibe at Captain Amarinder Singh, they said the Congress leader was presently "holidaying in England with his cronies" and was also trying to make his presence felt through "PR releases".
"He had no answer as to why he had abandoned Amritsar constituency and withdrawn the free power facility given to farmers as chief minister earlier," they said.
Stating that shedding "crocodile tears" over the status of farmers would not get the Congress leaders anywhere, the SAD MPs said that the party should take a lesson from the steadfast manner in which Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had tackled the agri crisis after the white fly attack on the cotton crop in the state.