Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday alleged that attempts are being made to threaten farmer leaders through notices by agencies like the NIA. He also accused the Centre of being insincere in talks over the farm laws and said the government is only "trying to tire out farmers".
"Simultaneously, it [Centre] is intimidating farmers by issuing notices to them through various agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Farmers are not anti-nationals. We condemn this," said Badal.
The NIA had earlier summoned Baldev Singh Sirsa, who leads an organisation involved in the ongoing farmers' protests in the country, as a ''witness'' in its case against the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). Sirsa, who has been asked to appear before NIA sleuths on December 17, is likely to be questioned about an alleged overground network of front organisations that could be helping the SFJ campaign.
Senior Akali leader and former state minister Bikram Singh Majithia also accused the Union government of defaming farmers by calling them naxalites and Khalistanis.He said the SAD had always stood with farmers and quit the National Democratic Alliance when the government refused to listen to them. Badal also slammed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, alleging that he has failed to fulfil any of his promises made to people.
Badal asked the chief minister to tell one thing he had done for the people of the state in the past four years of his rule. In direct contrast, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was responsible for making Punjab power surplus besides bringing in irrigation projects, providing free power for tube wells, creating the 'mandi' infrastructure and even ushering in the minimum support price system by taking up the issue with the Centre, he said.
-Inputs from PTI