Farmers’ protest: Massive losses to Punjab due to Haryana’s highway closure, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 26 February, Wednesday, raised the issue of losses being suffered by Punjab’s industry and trade due to the closure of the Haryana–Punjab border highway.

The party said the BJP-led government at the Centre not only “wants to destroy farmers but is also trying to ruin the state’s trade”.

Party spokesperson Neel Garg told the media in Chandigarh that Punjab’s traders and businessmen are facing massive economic losses due to the border closure. “Some of their representatives even met chief minister Bhagwant Mann and requested the reopening of the highway,” Garg said, adding that this situation has arisen because Punjab’s farmers have been continuously sitting on the border for the past year, but the BJP government at the Centre is not listening to their demands at all.

“The BJP wants Punjabis to turn against each other so that the movement weakens and ends on its own,” he said.

Garg appealed to all farmer unions and political parties to find a solution to this issue collectively and plan the movement in a way that remains impactful while minimising harm to traders and businessmen.

“If Punjab’s industry suffers, many people will become unemployed, and the government’s revenue will be severely affected as a significant amount of tax comes from the industry, which funds the state’s development and public welfare.

“It is our understanding that if the industry does not survive, Punjab will not survive. Therefore, we must find a way to protect both Punjab’s agriculture and trade,” he said.

The spokesperson urged the Haryana government to remove the barricading from the highway and ensure the free movement of vehicles related to industry and trade.

He also appealed to the central government to resolve the farmers’ demands at the earliest, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised a legal guarantee for MSP (minimum support price) when the farm laws were repealed and should now fulfil that promise.

In conclusion, he appreciated the Punjab government’s decision to reject the draft of the Agriculture Marketing Policy proposed by the central government in the Punjab assembly.