Jalandhar: In a move to woo the Dalits voters ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, however, his visit was marred by farmers’ agitation, on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway here.
Dera Sachkhand Ballan is considered a prominent place revered by the Scheduled Caste community as the Doaba region is home to a major chunk of the state’s Scheduled Caste (SC) population. Of Punjab’s 2.8 crore population, Dalits make up 32%, the highest in the country.
Newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Committee Chief Sidhu also visited Dera Jaura of Sant Nirmal Dass at Raipur village in the district.
He was accompanied by cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Aruna Chaudhary; working presidents of party Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Sangat Singh Gilzian; former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee and over a dozen party MLAs.
Condemning policies of successive governments, various farm union leaders including the Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) and the Kirti Kisan Union who raised slogans against him holding black flags.
Farmers said that Sidhu was playing politics rather than supporting them on the three farm laws. They said Sidhu has a single agenda to somehow let Congress form the government in Punjab in 2022.
Farmers said that he didn’t visit the Singhu border where farmers have been protesting since November last year. “But, farmers on their own have enough courage to coerce the central government to repeal the laws,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Kashmir Singh said.
Heavy police remained positioned at various locations to stop the farmers and farmers were held back by the policemen outside and not allowed to reach the spot where Sidhu was visiting.
While farmers have announced a complete boycott of the BJP leaders on the call of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, they had also announced that they would ask tough questions from the rest of the leaders.
Amarjit Singh Jadiala of the BKU Rajewal said that Sidhu claims that he would stand for farmers’ rights till his last breath, however, farmers were not even allowed to be near the leader.
Kirti Kisan Union leader Santokh Singh Sandhu said that he calls himself a well and the farmers thirsty was making misplaced statements ahead of the elections. “If Sidhu stands for the cause of farmers, he will have visited farmers’ homes or asked about any of their well being,” he said.
Sidhu, however, in his address said that it was not a political move rather he has just come to seek their blessings in his endeavour to work for uplifting and empowering the underprivileged sections of society.
Sidhu visits Dera Sachkhand Ballan, faces farmers’ protest
