The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today described the Government of India’s decision to roll back wealth tax on agriculture land as “ victory for farmers snatched from the jaws of the Congress and of defeat” through immense, unrelenting and all round pressure brought to bear on an insensitive government which continued to play games with the farmers and their well wishers it was forced to yield to the SAD-BJP and the farmers demand.”The Congress strategy was to deny, confuse, distract and finally wear down the beleaguered peasantry, but of it failed in the presence of the determined die-or-die approach of the farmers and their supporters, “ said the Chief Minister in a statement released at the his press conference here this evening.
The Chief Minister said that he had been deeply pained by the lowly tactics adopted by some of the most seniors members of the Congress party, resorting to deceit, subterfuge and brazen lies at the highest forum of democracy. They played politics with the sentiments of the suffering peasantry and farm labour. But for the whole hearted lent to the cause of the farmers, the Congress would have inflicted this disastrous blow on the nation in general and peasantry in particular., said the CM.
Saying that the developments in the parliament today had finally let the Congress cat out of the bag, but the Congress leaders were pretending to rejoice over their own defeat. This is the typical Congress double speak at its very best,” said Mr. Badal reacting to the decision of the government announced in the parliament that their decision to impose wealth tax on agricultural land – a productive asset - to
Asked about the dharnas against wealth tax scheduled by the SAD-BJP in Punjab for May 2, Mr. Badal said that these had been postponed as “ we have achieved the objectives for which these were planned. It is victory at last. “ The Chief Minister congratulated the farmers and their supporters on their victory but sounded a note of caution against the designs of the anti-farmer and anti-poor Congress party . He said that the farming community and their sympathizers and supports must be vigilant against “ premature celebrations “ Though the anti-farmer forces, lobbies and party have been forced to retreat yet we have to be watchful because the Congress has a habit playing dirty games till the very last moment.
Mr. Badal was joined at the press conference by the SAD president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who lashed out at the Congress for its deliberate efforts to break the back of the peasantry. The Congress wanted to punish the farmers as they invariably vote against its anti-farmer policies.
Mr. Sukhbir Singh was particularly severe on the PPCC leadership for what he called their “ determined bid to sabotage our efforts to win justice for farmers. Their line of action itself revealed how the Congress leadership in Punjab had tried to sabotage it . They first completely denied the existence of the problem and later, faced with, they sought to take undeserved credit for a decision taken against their declared stand. “
The dominant feeling in the SAD-BJP today was one of triumph, satisfaction and happiness, according to Mr. Harcharan Bains, Chief Minister’s Advisor on National Affairs. He said that to be absolutely sure that no further mischief is played with the interests of the farmers, the SAD-BJP alliance would await the details of the Congress’ complete U-turn on the question. “We have to look at the legal and constitutional fine-print of various clauses in the amendment in the concerned Act to make sure that no further mischief was being played by the government with the farmers,” he said.
Mr Sukhbir Singh said that the role played by the PPCC president Mr. Partap Singh Bajwas in the whole Congress drama was not only intriguing but even pathetic. Mr. Bajwa had gone on record sadyng tha the SAD-BJP were merely enacting a political tamasha as wealth tax on agriculture land simply did not exist. “May I ask him why were they running up and down in Delhi and what he was doing in Delhi in getting his PR photographs clicked with the central leaders, if wealth tax was indeed no issue? May I also ask him if SAD-BJP were turning a non-issue into an issue, what is the Congress and Mr. Bajwa now claiming credit for ? These PPCC leader were now standing unabashed in the first row to take credit for the victory of the farmers and of the SAD-BJP.’
“ One has to be a little “unabashed” in one’s approach to claim credit for something that they had been opposing earlier. But being unabashed is the Unique Selling Point of the Congress party, especially of its Punjab unity.” Mr. Badal said that the PPCC chief Partaps Singh Bajwas was in the most pathetic and ridiculous plight , as he woke up only when the SAD-BJP and the farmers had already pushed the center to the wall. “Bajwa’s other problem is Captain Amarinder Singh as the PPCC chief is always insecure about his hold on his job.” Mr. Badal said that he did not mind who got the credit as long as “our work gets done. Let them take credit for getting us Chandigarh, river waters, punishment against the guilty of 1984 and compensation for long years of concession given to neigbouring states. I will personally honour them for their contribution to the state if they secure justice for the people for the state,”Mr. Badal. Badal said that he was particularly amused over the plight of Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa, the PPCC president , those who first denied any decision of the central government to impose wealth tax on agriculture land and later claimed credit for the farmers’ victory. “This is indeed a victory of the farmers , but a victory over whom, Mr. Bajwa. Ask the farmers. They will tell you whom they were fighting against. Their fight was against the Congress led UPA government. “
The Chief Minister today congratulated the farmers and millions of others engaged agriculture-linked professions in Punjab and the rest of the country in forcing forcing the Congress-led UPA government to roll back its disastrous and irrational decision to impose wealth tax on agriculture lands in the state and the rest of the country. The Chief Minister said that his dominant feeling at the moment was one of big relief as the center had finally realized the utter folly and cynical opportunism of its decision on wealth tax on agricultural land.”
Badal however said that the center’s decision finally to bow before the surge of angry and deeply hurt farmers and to agree to rollback wealth tax has put the PPCC leaders in an extremely ridiculous, embarrassing and pitiable condition. I said that the PPCC chief Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa, who has turned his habit of speaking with his proverbial foot in the mouth, has a lot of explaining to do to the people for his earlier remarks that there was no wealth tax on agriculture land and that the SAD-BJP were merely misleading the people by turning a non-issue into an item of agitational politics. “May one ask Mr Bajwa if the Act on Wealth Tax did not exist, what was the government now going to amend?Mr. Badal said here today that with the Congress led UPA government at the Center finally bowing to pressure from the farmers and their champions.