The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has once again attacked the BJP over the problems in paddy procurement in Punjab’s mandis. AAP senior leader and cabinet minister Aman Arora stated that in recent days, BJP leaders in Punjab have been misleading farmers and commission agents with false statements. He said that AAP is not seeking revenge for losing ten seats, but the BJP is taking revenge on Punjab’s farmers and commission agents for losing 13 seats in the Lok Sabha and 115 out of 117 seats in the assembly.
Arora stated that AAP is in power in Punjab, having been elected with a historic majority. He pointed out that every child in Punjab knows how negative the BJP’s attitude is towards the state. He said that the central government and BJP leaders are trying to shift their blame onto the Punjab government.
Arora mentioned that while the central government has issued a CCL limit of ₹43,000 crore, BJP leaders should understand that the real owner of the grain is the central government. All decisions related to grain storage are implemented by the central government. If the central government wants the Punjab government to keep the grain in its own custody, it should provide an affidavit that the maintenance process, along with weight and quality, will not result in any losses for the Punjab government and the shelter owners. The central government will compensate for any losses.
In response to a BJP leader’s statement regarding the milling policy, Arora questioned that the policy came out in January. The central government’s claim that it lifted 15 lakh metric tons in October would have resulted in 150 lakh metric tons of space being cleared if implemented since January. So why was the lifting so slow?
He advised BJP leaders to stop making false statements and instead urge their party leadership and the central government to resolve this issue so that farmers’ difficulties can be addressed quickly. He concluded that BJP leaders are making such false statements to hide the failures of their government.
