Two AAP legislators face farmers’ ire in Bathinda

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, who are visiting schools to inaugurate development projects, are now facing opposition from farmers. Rampura Phul MLA Balkar Sidhu and Maur MLA Sukhbir Singh Maiserkhana received backlash from farmers, who posed them several questions in separate incidents in the district on Monday.

The first incident took place at Sidhana village in Rampura, where MLA Balkar Sidhu had come to participate in an inauguration event under the ‘Education Revolution’ initiative.

Upon learning about his arrival, members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Krantikari Punjab) and BKU Ekta Ugrahan had already gathered in front of the school in the village. As soon as MLA Sidhu arrived at the venue with police, the farmers began raising slogans regarding the atrocities committed at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, and also raised objections related to the Model School Chaoke case. After the programme ended, the MLA approached the farmers to hold discussion with them. The farmer leaders present there asked several questions, to which Sidhu responded, saying he could only comment after speaking with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Later, in Salebrah village, the MLA faced further protests. During a ceremony in Salebrah, a youth from the Education Department asked him some questions about new recruitments. As a result, the police detained him, but released him shortly before the end of the event.

After the ceremony, Kuldeep Singh Selbrah, state president of the Krantikari Gramin Mazdoor Union, confronted MLA Sidhu with a series of questions. He reminded him that the wall of the school inaugurated during the 2.5-hour-long event had been built years ago and did not require any repairs — something the MLA failed to respond to. He then asked two more questions, including whether the inauguration of school walls counted as bringing an educational revolution, especially when the school lacks sufficient teachers and did not even have a lecturer for Punjabi, their mother tongue.

In another such incident, members of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), Block Maur, confronted AAP MLA Sukhbir Singh Maiserkhana with questions during his visit to Ramgarh Bhundar village.

Addressing the gathering, block president Rajwinder Singh Ramnagar, general secretary Gurmel Singh Babbli, district leader Jasveer Sema and other farmer leaders said the Punjab Government had failed to fulfill the promises it made when it came to power. They questioned why the government continued to support the corrupt management of the Adarsh School, even though a report from the district administration had confirmed that corruption had taken place. This report has been with the Education Department for over 2.5 months, and the DGSC is also aware of the wrongdoing. Despite this, instead of taking action against the culprits, pressure and force have been used against teachers and farmers.

Cases akin to attempted murder have been filed against farmers, and incidents of violence against women teachers and farmer leaders such as Harinder Kaur Bindu and Paramjit Kaur Pitho were raised.

The farmers asked why a private management was given control over the school and why the policy of handing over public funds to education profiteers, which was common during the regime of the Badal government, had not been changed.

Another key concern was the prevention of Punjab’s farmers from staging protests in Chandigarh, which was their state capital. The farmers further demanded to know why those protesting for the Adarsh School were forcibly detained and why their equipment and belongings were seized and locked in police stations. They condemned the use of brutal force on unemployed teachers.

Gidderbaha MLA Dhillon confronted

Some members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) posed several questions to Gidderbaha AAP MLA Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon in Gurusar village here on Monday. The farmers described the AAP as the “BJP’s B-team”.

The growers asked him why the farmers were not allowed to protest at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders. In response, Dimpy said the state government might be under some pressure to lift the protests at the borders as nothing had happened in the past year.

“Being a farmer, I condemn this. I always stand with the farmers. This should not have happened. Even I am unable to understand how all of sudden this happened. There must be some pressure on the government,” the MLA said.

Punjab