Chandigarh, Nov 10 (IANS): The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to clarify if party MP Ravneet Singh Bittu’s statement equating farmers, agitating against cuts in procurement and shortage of DAP fertiliser, with the Taliban was the stand of the party or the MP’s personal belief.

In a statement here, senior party leader Bikram Singh Majithia said “It is shocking that Ravneet Bittu is equating farmers with the Taliban and threatening them with the registration of false cases even as the BJP is mum on this issue. The party should make it clear whether the hatred being spread by Bittu has its blessings or is the personal agenda of the MP”.

Majithia said instead of encouraging those indulging in such divisive politics, the Central government should try to put balm on the wounds of farmers.

“We cannot forget that 800 farmers were martyred during the Kisan Andolan. Recently we witnessed the murder of Shubhkarman at Khanauri, besides atrocities inflicted on Pritpal Singh after he was kidnapped by Haryana Police”.

The SAD leader said all this was followed by the Centre’s failure to lift foodgrains from Punjab, resulting in the present glut in mandis as well as failure to supply even the allocated supply of DAP fertiliser to farmers of the state.

“This is causing a sense of alienation among farmers who feel the Central government is taking revenge against them for participating in the Kisan Andolan”.

Asking the Centre to address issues of lifting of paddy and supply of DAP, Majithia also called for implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report in toto.

“Right now brazen assertions are being made that the Swaminathan Commission report has been implemented which is incorrect and amounts to deceiving the farmers,” he added.