"Lathi-charge against farmers not right": Sachin Pilot slams Centre over Shambhu border clash

New Delhi [India], December 9 : After a face-off between protesting farmers and police at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, Congress leader Sachin Pilot criticized the Centre's actions on Monday, saying that using lathi charges and tear gas against farmers sends the wrong message.
Speaking to ANI, Pilot said, "Lathi-charge and use of tear gas against farmers is not right. This behaviour by the (Central) government doesn't send the right message. You call them terrorists, register cases against them, and don't want to talk to them -- this has been the government's approach. We are seeing it yet again."
Punjab Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that all that the farmers are asking for is a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"All that the farmers are asking for is - a legal guarantee on MSP. But the Centre's behaviour is not right, resorting to lathi-charge against farmers and not letting them go to Delhi...Our leader Rahul Gandhi has also raised the matter of legal guarantee on MSP. If we get a chance, we will raise this issue during Zero Hour or Question Hour in Parliament," he said.
Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Pratao Singh Bajwa said that they have no hope from the Centre.
"Everyone knows that the Central government's policies are pro-corporate and anti-farmer. We have no hopes and expectations from it (Central government," Bajwa said.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan asserted that the Central government should come forward and talk to farmers.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad highlighted that India cannot progress if its farmers are unhappy. "India is a country of farmers. Unless the farmers are happy, the country cannot progress... Farmers wanted to come to Delhi with their genuine demands, but they were stopped... I'm afraid that's not right... Samajwadi Party raised the issue of farmers in Parliament, but the government does not want to listen," he said.
At the Shambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that they will visit the farmers who were injured during the protest.
"The hunger strike is going on at the Khanauri border. We will meet Jagjit Singh Dallewal and the forum there. Before going to Khanauri, we will visit the farmers in Patiala," Pandher said.
Meanwhile, Punjab and Haryana police met with farmer leaders in Rajpura on Sunday to address concerns over the ongoing protest. Farmer leaders had earlier called off the 'Jatha' -- a group of 101 farmers, after more than eight farmers were injured.
Tensions escalated at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, where police used tear gas to block farmers attempting to march to Delhi.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher had earlier accused the Punjab government of siding with the central government to suppress the protest. Opposition leaders slammed the government's handling of the situation, highlighting issues faced by farmers, such as fertilizer shortages and the Minimum Support Price (MSP).