Later speaking to media, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that farmers staging demonstration in Delhi are genuine and their demands are legitimate. It is not correct to tell them terrorists/khalistani. Some groups are trying to defame the farmers when they are on the streets to push for their genuine demands, said the Chief Minister in reply to queries of media after the flagging off ceremony at his official residence on Monday. The Chief Minister also condemned those terming farmers as ‘dalal’ (broker). Every attempt to suppress farmers will fail, said Baghel.
The Chief Minister said, “I am going to Assam following an instruction from AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Elections are there in Assam and responsibility has been given to him by the Congress supremo along with Mukul Wasnik and Sarfaraz. I will first pay obeisance to Kamakhya Devi in Assam and later I will meet organisation heads and members.”
To a query, Baghel sought a probe monitored by Supreme Court into alleged talks between a senior TV journalist and a former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
He also slammed the Centre for notices served by National Investigation Agency (NIA) to farmer leaders protesting against three new Central agriculture laws and asserted that the saffron party’s attempts to suppress cultivators’ movement would not scare them.
Baghel said that the TV journalist may have had advance knowledge of the air strike on Pakistan’s Balakot, which, according to the Chief MInister, is dangerous for nation’s security. How such highly confidential information was known to a journalist. If it has happened then NIA should take suo moto cognizance of the matter and investigate it, Baghel said.
The Centre should clarify that how a journalist had information about it. The matter should be probed under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court as it is linked to the nation’s security. Politics should not be done into it and an impartial enquiry should be done, asserted Baghel.
Bhupesh Baghel stressed on the need for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged talks between Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) head Partho Dasgupta.
Baghel also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over notices served by National Investigation Agency (NIA) to farmer leaders protesting against three new Central agriculture laws and asserted that the saffron party’s attempts to suppress cultivators’ movement would not scare them.
Over a query about the purported chats of Goswami which indicates that he may have had advance knowledge of the air strike on Pakistan’s Balakot, the CM said, “this is dangerous for the country’s security. How such highly confidential information was known to a journalist. If it has happened then NIA should take suo moto cognizance of the matter and investigate it”.
“The Centre should clarify that how he (Goswami) had information about it. The matter should be probed under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court as it is linked to the nation’s security. Politics should not be done into it and an impartial enquiry should be done.”
Further hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Baghel said, “whenever any protests take place, the BJP tries to defame it. They have been labeling this movement (against new farm laws) as Pakistan-backed, China-backed and Khalistani-supported. Despite all these allegations, farms have so far stood firmly with their demand.
“..now those who are heading the farmers protest were served notices by the NIA. No matter how much they (BJP) try to suppress their movement, I don’t believe that farmers will be afraid and retreat,” he added.
