Farmers' stir hijacked by those with vested interests: Sukhbir

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the rail blockade agitation by farmers' unions in the state, which entered the third day today, has been "hijacked" by people with "narrow and vested political interests."
"The present agitation launched by the farmers has been hijacked by the people with narrow and vested political interests and certain associations with leftist leanings are trying to gain political mileage out of the whole issue," he said.
Around eight farmers' outfits have thrown rail traffic in Punjab out of gear by squatting on tracks at various places for the third consecutive day today protesting against the "anti-farmer" policies of the SAD-BJP-led government in the state.

Punjab Government has been adopting a "practical and mature approach" to solve the current agrarian crisis which had occurred due to attack of whitefly on cotton crop, Sukhbir said.
The state government has taken strict action against the persons responsible for the sale of spurious pesticides in this connection, he said.
Former Agriculture Director Nirmal Singh Sandhu had recently been arrested in connection with spurious pesticide scam in the state following hue and cry raised by farmers and the Opposition Congress.
The Deputy Chief Minister also demanded the Central government to set a 'Basmati Trading Corporation' so that Punjab farmers did not face any problem in selling the rice variety besides getting a profitable rate for the product.