Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Central Government, accusing it of abandoning the country's youth and farmers while choosing "repression over dialogue."
Addressing a press conference, Pannu said it was unfortunate that both students and farmers were being forced to protest on the streets because the government had ignored their legitimate demands. He alleged that instead of engaging with demonstrators, the Centre had responded with force.
Referring to the ongoing student protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Pannu said students had been peacefully demonstrating for weeks, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. He claimed the protesters had neither resorted to violence nor disrupted public life, but were merely seeking to have their voices heard.
Condemning the police action against the protesters, Pannu alleged that even girls aged 13 and 14 were not spared during the crackdown. He claimed several students were injured, with some still undergoing treatment in hospitals, and described the incident as evidence of the BJP government's "anti-student mindset."
Expressing solidarity with the students, Pannu said AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal had already announced a legal helpline for affected students and personally visited injured protesters in hospital. He said the party would continue to provide legal and medical assistance wherever required.
Turning to the farmers' agitation, Pannu alleged that the Centre's proposed trade agreement with the United States would severely impact Indian agriculture, particularly cotton growers in Punjab. He claimed imported American cotton would be cheaper than India's Minimum Support Price (MSP), making it difficult for domestic farmers to compete and threatening their livelihoods.
Pannu also criticized the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana for preventing farmers from travelling to Delhi, alleging that they had been stopped at the Shambhu border despite intending to hold peaceful protests.
He demanded that the Haryana government immediately reopen the Shambhu border and allow farmers to proceed peacefully to the national capital. Stressing that the protesters were unarmed and posed no threat, he said every citizen has a constitutional right to peaceful protest.
Recalling the previous farmers' movement, Pannu said the country had already witnessed the sacrifice of more than 750 farmers. He urged the government to learn from the past instead of repeating what he described as the same mistakes, adding that democratic voices should be heard through dialogue rather than suppressed through barricades and force.
