Amarinder announces withdrawal of FIRs filed against farmers, no fresh cases to be registered for violation of Section 144

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 16

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday appealed to farmers not to stop traffic or violate Section 144 in the state over the agriculture Bills, but made it clear that no cases would be registered against them for violation of Section 144 as they were fighting for their lives.

FIRs already registered against farmers protesting in violation of Section 144 would be withdrawn, said the Chief Minister, talking to mediapersons outside the Governor’s House after submitting a memorandum against the “anti-farmer” Bills on behalf of the Punjab Congress. The farmers are violating the law as the ordinances would ruin them and their families, he said in response to a question.

The state Congress and his government were with the farmers, the Chief Minister asserted, adding that the Centre’s legislations would ruin Punjab and its agriculture, which was the backbone of its economy. The ordinances would pave the way for ending the MSP regime, which would spell doom for Punjab, and in fact the whole nation, he added.

Amarinder urged the farmers to take their protests to Delhi, at the doorstep of the central government, and assured them that the Congress would stand with them in their fight.