Amarinder Singh meets Amit Shah; appeals to Centre, farmers to resolve impasse soon

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday made an appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the protesting farmers to find an early resolution to the impasse over the new farm laws, saying the agitation is affecting Punjab’s economy and the nation’s security.

Singh after meeting Shah at his residence here said common ground must be found soon and the two sides should not take rigid positions on the matter.

“I came to meet the Home Minister to reiterate our position and to make a request to him and the farmers to resolve this soon because this (agitation) affects the economy of my Punjab as well as the security of the nation,” the Congress leader told reporters after the meeting.

Asked if he was trying to mediate between the agitating farmers and the central government, Singh said a discussion is going on between the two sides.

“It is for them to resolve… we have reiterated Punjab’s position,” he said.

The meeting was held simultaneously with the interaction between the agitating farmer leaders and the government at Vigyan Bhawan here, sources said.

According to sources, the meeting which was slated in the morning was delayed by over two hours and started around noon.

The Punjab chief minister and his Congress party have been supporting the farmers’ stir and the state Assembly had also passed a set of bills aimed at negating the Centre’s farm legislation.

Singh had earlier said that he and his government were willing to mediate in the talks between the Centre and the farmers in the collective interest of all.

The protesting farmers, a large number of whom are from Punjab, have been holding sit-ins on the borders of the national capital. They are demanding that the government withdraw the new farm laws if it wants them to end their stir.