Commenting on the statement made by the Union Agriculture Minister in the Parliament, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stated that the former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the present Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had betrayed the farmers of Punjab by following the same policy. During a press conference convened at the party headquarters here on Saturday, senior leader of the party and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, said that as per the statement made by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the Parliament on Friday; these black laws were originated in 2013 when SAD-BJP government was headed by Parkash Singh Badal as the Chief Minister.He said that the statement of Agriculture Minister Tomar had exposed the black record of Parkash Singh Badal being anti-farmer. Cheema said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government was bringing the same Act, which was brought by the government of Parkash Singh Badal. He said that as per the 2013 Act, a farmer could be sentenced to one month imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 5,000 to Rs 5 lakh for violating the rules of contract farming. Not only this, if the farmer makes a mistake again, the punishment will increase and the penalty will also increase.
Cheema further said that when the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh came to power in 2017, the Captain government also took steps to extend these laws in line with the 2013 laws. "The APMC Act was enacted during Captain Amarinder Singh's government. Even then, the Aam Aadmi Party had played an important role in the opposition and had registered its objection to these laws," he added.He said that the Aam Aadmi Party had been saying it from day one that the SAD, BJP and Congress were all working for corporate houses and betraying the 'annadatas' of the state. Cheema said that the people of Punjab had made Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister for five times but now when the Modi government came up with these black laws on agriculture, Badal only spoke once as part of the central government and praised the laws."After that he did not utter a single word in favor of the farmers. Parkash Singh Badal's sharp silence shows that his heart is still beating for the BJP," said Cheema. He said that the same was the case with present Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who despite being a member of the High Power Committee had not made the people of Punjab aware that such black farm laws were coming. "Captain Amarinder did not even take up the issue with the Union government against these laws and is now pretending to be a big benefactor of the farmers," he added.