Stir over farm bills: Will withdraw cases against farmers, says Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said cases lodged against farmers for protesting against the Centre’s agriculture-related Bills will be withdrawn but urged them not to block roads anymore.

He in a statement said no case will be registered against them for violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code as they are “fighting for their lives”.

The provision, prohibiting an assembly of four or more people in an area, is in place across Punjab due to the coronavirus pandemic. The chief minister also urged farmers to take their protest to Delhi on the doorstep of the Union government, assuring that the Congress will back them in their fight.

“FIRs already registered against farmers protesting in violation of Section 144 will be withdrawn,” said the CM here after submitting a memorandum to Punjab Governor V P Singh against the legislations on behalf of the state Congress.

Farmers are violating the law as the ordinances will ruin them and their families, he said in the statement.

The state Congress and his government are with farmers, the CM asserted, adding that the Centre's legislations will “ruin” Punjab and its agriculture, which was the backbone of its economy.

The legislations will pave a way for ending the MSP (minimum support price) regime, which will "spell doom" for Punjab and in fact the whole nation, he added. Replacing the earlier promulgated ordinances, the Centre on Monday introduced the Farmers' Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and 'The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.

Farmers are up in arms against the legislations and have held statewide protests against these.

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