Amarinder to meet Shah on farmers' stir

Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will lead a non-political delegation of agricultural experts to meet the Union Home Minister to discuss possible solutions to the ongoing farmers' agitation on Thursday. Disclosing this here on Wednesday, Amarinder Singh, who announced to float a new political party with seat sharing with parties, including the BJP, said he had been discussing various options with Home Minister Amit Shah, whom he will be meeting in Delhi again on Thursday, and others.

"I think I can help in finding a solution as I have been the Chief Minister of Punjab and am also an agriculturist," Amarinder Singh told a press conference.

Coming to his future plans, Singh said that he would launch his new party as soon as the Election Commission clears the name and the symbol, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying many people from the party were in touch with him and they will come out in the open when the time comes.

"We are waiting for the opportune moment. But I will not take their names. Already my supporters are being harassed," said Amarinder Singh, addressing his first press conference after stepping down as Chief Minister.

While there could be no pre-decided formula for resolution of the farmers' stir, something will emerge during the talks as both sides - the Central government and farmers - want a resolution to the crisis triggered by the farm laws, he said.

Making it clear that he had not met any farmer leaders, the former Chief Minister said he had deliberately not interfered in the matter as the farmers did not want politicians involved. The farmer leaders had four inconclusive meetings with the Centre but back channel talks have been going on, he added.

Amarinder Singh had earlier said any seat arrangement he made with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be subject to a resolution of the farmers' issue in their interest.

Asked how many MLAs were in touch with him, he quipped, "if Rahul Gandhi needs to have back-to-back meetings with Punjab Congress MLAs, what does it mean?"

As to why he had not resigned yet from the party, Amarinder Singh said, "I have spent 50 years in the Congress, how does it manner if I stay for another 10 days?"

He rejected the Congress claims of a majority of the MLAs opposing his continuation in office, and said "once they (party leadership) had made up their mind to replace me, all these excuses were made". Pointing out that the so-called 18-point agenda of the Congress for his government was nothing but part of the Punjab 2017 manifesto, he said the Kharge committee was clearly told that 92 per cent of all poll promises had been fulfilled.