A day after farmer-mother suicide, Cong, AAP want Sukhbir to quit

Barnala: A day after a farmer and his mother committed suicide when they saw a commission agent from whom they had taken loan at their doorstep, the Punjab Congress on Wednesdsay termed it as an unfortunate incident "with no parallels in the state".
The party also demanded the resignation of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal as a home minister of the state for failing to safeguard the life and liberty of people, especially farmers.The Congress has announced that it would bring a stringent law prohibiting any forcible eviction of farmers from their land if it came to power in the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab.
The AAP too has accused the state government of forcing farmers to take the extreme step, and demanded Sukhbir's resignation. Farmer organization Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) has decided to wage a struggle against the state government for making no efforts to stop farmers from committing suicides.
Farmer Baljit Singh and his mother Balbir Kaur had ended lives at Jodhpur village of Barnala on Tuesday, when a commission agent Teja Singh along with his partner and two sons came to take possession of two acres of land the family possessed.
Meanwhile, the police arrested Teja, his partner Baljit Singh and a relative Baljit Singh Kairon. Barnala district administration also announced a compensation of rupees three lakh each to the bereaved family for the two suicides, a government job to one of the family members, and waiver of institutional loan pending against the family. After getting an assurance from the administration, the farmers agreed to cremate the bodies.
Six Congress MLAs -- including the leader of opposition Charanjit Singh Channi, and senior party leader Sunil Jakhar -- reached the Barnala Civil Hospital, on Wednesday, where the bodies of Baljit and his mother were kept. Jakhar and Channi alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal government had created such pathetic conditions in Punjab that except for committing suicides, no option was left with indebted poor farmers.
"The incident of a farmer and his mother both committing suicide is, however, unthinkable. Sukhbir Badal is directly responsible for it, and he should resign on moral grounds. If the Congress came to power, we will frame a stringent law where no farmer will be forced to pledge his land for loan. We will ensure that no farmer is forced to part with his land," said Abohar MLA Jakhar. Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Channi said he, along with Jakhar, would chalk out a plan for agitation on the issue on Friday, when senior party leaders from Delhi would visit Punjab.
AAP legal cell convener Himmat Singh Shergill also visited the Barnala Civil Hospital and demanded the resignation of Sukhbir Badal. He said AAP was preparing a manifesto and a special thrust was being given to farming issues. "No such happening will be allowed if AAP forms the government," he said. BKU (Dakaunda) president Buta Singh Burjgill said: "As the district administration accepted all the demands, we allowed the cremation of both the deceased. But we will start the struggle for a larger cause of saving more farmers from suicides under such conditions."
Barnala SP Swaran Singh Khanna said Teja and two others had been arrested while efforts are being made to arrest his two sons.