Chandigarh: Accusing the BJP and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa of making false claims about stubble burning, Punjab AAP on Saturday said the saffron party’s anti-farmer agenda had been exposed. The party criticised BJP leaders for demanding action against farmers rather than appreciating Punjab’s proactive steps to tackle the issue.Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the AAP govt had helped farmers move away from farm fires by providing crop residue management (CRM) equipment worth Rs 800 crore, along with sustained awareness campaigns.Cheema said, “The BJP has always been an anti-farmer party. Manjinder Sirsa and other BJP leaders have repeatedly demanded that cases be registered against farmers, exposing their anti-farmer mindset. Instead of supporting those who feed the nation, the BJP is trying to threaten and malign them.”He said the Punjab govt had been providing CRM machines to farmers over the past five years. “These sustained efforts, along with awareness campaigns, have brought stubble-burning incidents in Punjab down to negligible levels. Punjab’s farmers are not burning stubble on the scale being portrayed by BJP leaders. Even if an isolated incident occurs somewhere, it cannot be portrayed as widespread stubble burning across the state.”Cheema advised Manjinder Sirsa and other BJP leaders to stop making “false allegations” against Punjab and instead address the situation in BJP-ruled neighbouring states, including Haryana and Uttar...
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