Farmers’ outfits lash out at Rajnath Singh for MHA offer

PR Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association, who had returned after staging protests demanding the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in Delhi, rebuffed the attitude of Home Minister Rajnath Singh. 

The farmers’ leader questioned as to whom should be blamed for forcing the state to file a contempt plea before the Supreme Court by not honouring the Cauvery final verdict. 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is supposed to protect the Constitution, should not ignore the apex court’s verdict on account of accruing power in Karnataka. Modi had only brought shame to the country by necessitating the protests in the state and as well as in the Centre regarding the formation of the CMB. The democratic protests should not be projected as disrupting peace and harmony,” Pandian said.

He also pointed out that the Centre should have worked in framing the CMB instead of issuing threats to the peaceful protestors by proclaiming that the Central Armed Police Forces will be available to quell it. 

He urged that the Home Minister might want to aim his threats on Modi who is not willing comply with the orders the court instead of targeting citizens protesting for their rights. 

“The Centre is deliberately disturbing peace and tranquillity prevailing among states by not solving the inter-state disputes. It is the Centre which is orchestrating things against the public order,” Pandian reasoned.

Earlier, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) insisted the state to maintain public order and offered to provide Central Forces on request, in the wake of bandh and protests in the country. 

“Whichever state has asked for Central Forces, they have been made available immediately. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have so far requested for Central Forces. Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CAPFs have been made available. The Ministry has asked the states to take all preventive measures and maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives of people and property,” it said in a communique.