Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday lashed out at his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar for the crackdown on farmers protesting the centre’s new agricultural laws, saying that he will not even answer the latter’s phone calls now because of the way he has acted.
“He doesn’t know what to say, so, he is saying all this. Punjab is not stopping its farmers because it is their right to protest. Why are you stopping them? Why are you using water cannons and tear-gassing them? When we are not stopping them and Delhi is not stopping them, who are you to stop them? I don’t like this dishonest behaviour. He can call me 10 times now, I won’t pick up his call,” he told NDTV, rubbishing charges that he had not answered three phone calls from Mr Khattar.
The Chief Minister was responding to Mr Khattar’s accusations that Captain Singh was responsible for the thousands of angry farmers marching to Delhi and some throwing stones and overturning barricades in response to a heavy-handed police crackdown in Haryana.
Mr Khattar, whose government and police have been criticised for brutish attempts to beat back what began as a peaceful protest, also claimed that no Haryana farmer was, or is, involved in the “Dilli Chalo” movement and that state police had shown restraint in handling the situation.
“Punjab farmers are protesting. Haryana farmers have stayed away. I thank Haryana farmers and police for showing restraint. Punjab Chief Minister is responsible and fanning this protest. Office bearers of the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office are leading the protest,” Mr Khattar told reporters.
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