Sidhu slams Punjab govt over farmers' issues

New Delhi (IANS) All is not well within the Punjab Congress as former cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has sharpened his attack on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on the issue of farmers.

Even as the Chief Minister has gone for a direct confrontation with the Centre over the three new Farm Laws, Sidhu has slammed the state government for its crop procurement model and 'lack of storage and marketing ability'.

While taking note of Sidhu's criticism, the Congress leaders said that though the matter was serious, Sidhu has criticised the Central government also on the issue. The Congress does not think that Sidhu will go for "Ghar Wapsi" to the BJP.

Congress state in-charge Harish Rawat had said, "Sidhu is an asset to the party."

On the day of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's tractor rally, Sidhu shared the stage with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Rahul, and there also he criticized the state government.

Earlier, the buzz was that Sidhu may be rehabilitated as the state president, which was strongly opposed by the Punjab Congress leaders. Sunil Jakhar expressed his unhappiness, and the Chief Minister too made his reservations clear. Later General Secretary in-charge Harish Rawat clarified that there was no such proposal and he has been "misunderstood".

Rawat speaking to IANS from Dehradun said, "There is no such proposal of replacement of the state president in Punjab."

On his YouTube channel, to connect with the people, Sidhu said on Monday: "Today, Punjab does not have a government procurement model for any other crop apart from wheat and rice."

"Neither, do we have the storage capacity nor the marketing ability."

"Today, the central foodgrain warehouses are empty. They will buy our rice this year, our wheat next year. Then what after that? Our timeline for preparation is just 1-3 years."

Slamming the Centre for bringing the 'anti-farmer' Agri Laws, the former Minister said: "Today, they are handing over agriculture to the capitalists, when the manufacturing and service sectors are in losses. They want that crony capitalists should rule. They will come and rule us like the East India Company."