Amarinder Singh talks farmers' agitation with Shah

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday evening met Home Minister Amit Shah amid speculation he is exploring options with the BJP, but said they discussed the ongoing farm protests."Met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Discussed the prolonged farmers' agitation against farm laws and urged him to resolve the crisis urgently with repeal of the laws and guarantee MSP, besides supporting Punjab in crop diversification," said a tweet from his aide after the meeting ended.The tweet, with a picture of both of them together, came more than two hours after Singh drove up to the home minister's residence around 6 pm.The former CM is also believed to have raised with Shah the security concerns in the border state, and also about the "conduct" of PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, people familiar with Singh's concerns said.Remember, immediately after his exit from the CM's chair, Singh had called Sidhu a national "security risk" because of his proximity to Pakistan president Imran Khan and that country's army chief.The meeting strengthened theories that Singh might either join the BJP or support it, but reports suggested it would depend on whether the government makes a climbdown on the contentious farm law.The Congress is the ruling party in Punjab, with the Aam Aadmi Party fast gaining ground, while the BJP is considerably weakened after its alliance with the Akali Dal broke down.Singh's aide Raveen Thukral a day earlier had brushed aside speculation of him having anything to do with the BJP, saying the veteran Congress leader was in Delhi on a private visit."He is on a personal visit, during which he'll meet some friends and vacate Kapurthala House (the Punjab Chief Minister's residence in the national capital) ... No need for unnecessary speculation," is what Thukral said.Singh, 79, has been sulking since he was forced to resign as Punjab CM following a revolt led by Sidhu, who has since put in his papers as state party chief.The veteran leader, who has been with the Congress for more than four decades, had said he felt "humiliated" at the way he was forced out by the party leadership.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3D18XA9