Punjab CM Mann Got Angry During Meeting: Protesting Farmers
Protesting farmers claimed that the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had got “angry” and “provoked” them during a metting held with him in Chandigarh.
The meeting on Monday was held by Mann o persuade farmers who had been sitting on a protest at the Khanauri border in the Sangrur district of the State to call off their protest on March 5.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal described the Chief Minister Mann as unusually angry, noting that he had never witnessed such an outburst, even in high-level negotiations.
“The meeting was going on well, and we were coming to agreements on several issues. After we came to an agreement on the eighth issue, the CM said he wanted to leave, owing to a doctor’s appointment. Then he asked about our plans for March 5. He said we are holding talks; why do you still want to proceed with the protest? He became very angry and left the meeting saying ‘do whatever you want to do’… I have had negotiations at the Prime Minister level but have never seen a leader so angry. We will come to Chandigarh (on 5 March),” he said.
Farmer leader Raminder Patila said that the Punjab CM got provoked and it is not the way how a Chief Minister should behave.
“We had a memorandum of 18 demands, and we had reached the 8th point when he straight up asked us not to protest on March 5. If he will not listen to our demands, we have the right to make ourselves heard. If he thinks that things will end just by meeting, that is not the case. The behaviour displayed by the CM was condemnable. He left the meeting mid-way. This should not be how a CM is supposed to behave. We will come back on 5th March and force the CM to sit with us… We wanted thorough discussions, and we will not accept it if he tries to curtail or dictate our discussions… He had invited us for this meeting… We will hold an indefinite protest,” Patila said.
Another farmer leader, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, claimed that the CM was furious during the meeting.
“Earlier he had asked us not to protest, he would solve our problems through meetings. We said that you don’t meet with us without protests. Last time, we also got to meet you because we were protesting. The same has happened now. He got angry and asked us to sit for protests then… I have had a lot of meetings with the centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nobody gets so angry. We don’t think that should happen. We are prepared for March 5. The protests will be for an indefinite period,” Lakhowal said.
On February 22, as part of the central government’s outreach to farmers, three Union Ministers held a meeting with farmers leaders in Chandigarh, assuring that they would study the reports and data presented, based on which discussions will proceed on March 19.
This meeting was the second between the central ministers and the farmers, following a previous session held on February 14 in Chandigarh. (ANI)
