Modi failed to address Gujarat Sikh issue: Punjab Congress

Punjab Congress today accused Narendra Modi of failing to address the issue of Sikh farmers living in Gujarat's Kutch region as they face eviction from their farm land.
State Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa said the Sikh farmers had high hopes that Modi during his Punjab visit would make an announcement of withdrawal of the plea his government had filed in the Supreme Court contesting the stay granted by Gujarat High Court to the Sikh farmers.
Modi at Jagraon rally said that no Sikh farmer would be displaced from Kutch, but he did not make any commitment to withdraw the plea, Bajwa said in a statement here.

It was shameful that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was not able to convince Modi to withdraw the plea from the Supreme Court, he said.
He alleged that Modi government had ordered Sikh farmers to leave Gujarat and their land holdings were frozen after they were declared non-agriculturists on account of a interpretation of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Land (Vidarbha Region and Kutch Area) Act 1958 by officials of the Gujarat government.
The Gujarat High Court had given relief to farmers and stayed the orders of District Magistrate of Kutch, he said adding that Modi government had challenged the High Court decision in the apex court.

"Unless Special Leave Petition (plea) is withdrawn, all talks on protecting Sikh farmers is meaningless," he said.