Ludhiana, Nov 22 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said the farmers' agitation against three farm laws will be always remembered as a 'watershed movement' to protect the democratic and human rights in the country.
The Chief Minister along with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu handed over letters of appointment to five next of kin of farmers who died during the agitation. Channi said this movement has upheld the ethos of democratic values and human rights in the country.
He said this agitation will ever inspire the countrymen to fight for their democratic and human rights while relentlessly waging a peaceful battle. The Punjab government is always with the food growers of the country, he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that instead of sitting idle, all Punjabis and, especially, the farmers have to remain vigilant until the draconian farm laws are repealed.
He said fresh conspiracies are being hatched to harm the interests of the farmers besides derailing progress and prosperity of Punjab. Making a scathing attack on those leaders who are welcoming the announcement of Prime Minister to repeal the laws, Channi said these pseudo nationalist leaders are part and parcel of these anti-Punjab conspiracies.
The Chief Minister questioned these leaders to explain the rationale behind merrymaking as there is hardly any reason to rejoice since Punjab had lost more than 700 sons and daughters during the struggle.
He said those hailing the decision are supporting the atrocities meted out by the Union government to the agitating farmers, which was undesirable and unwarranted.
Channi said it was shameful that for the sake of their vested political interests some political leaders are hell bent upon sacrificing the interests of the state, especially the farmers.
The Chief Minister said that the announcement regarding repealing of black laws was baseless until and unless guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops is not made.
He said the Union government must ensure that each and every grain of the farmers is lifted on MSP so that the exploitation of farmers in hands of private players is avoided.
Concerned over the manner in which Bollywood is being "targeted" by the Narcotics Control Bureau for the past over one year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will write to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik said on Tuesday.
After examining the plea, an order was passed by a bench of Justices A.G. Masih and A.K. Verma to enable the prosecuting agency to proceed as per law, an official statement quoting the office of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol said.
With the financial assistance of the US-based United Sikh Mission, a 525 KW capacity solar power plant was commissioned in the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple, in Amritsar on Tuesday.
The group was also found to have been involved in receiving a substantial part of sale consideration in cash and thereby suppressing the turnover. The seized documents reveal suppression of turnover of around Rs 90 crore per annum. Incriminating documents related to the undisclosed sale of scrap have also been seized, the department said in a statement.
Reacting strongly to the IGI airport authorities sending Darshan Singh Dhaliwal back to the US after denying him entry to India, five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "intervene personally and effectively" to get the order vacated.
One incident was reported in the Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology located on the outskirts of Sangrur town, while another was reported from Rayat Bahrat University in Kharar in Mohali district.
