DW BUREAU / new delhi Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday launched a dharna here to "save" his state and its farmers with a hard-hitting attack on the Centre, alleging "step-motherly" treatment towards Punjab. Led by Amarinder Singh, all Congress MLAs and MPs from Punjab staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar here. Lok Insaaf Party legislator Simranjit Singh Bains, as well as Punjabi Ekta Party MLAs Sukhpal Khaira and Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa also participated in the protest. The Punjab chief minister said the Aam Aadmi Party had been "pressured" not to join the dharna as its government in Delhi had not passed amendment bills to protect the farmers. The Congress, many other opposition parties and several farmers organisations have been protesting against the recent farm legislations, alleging that these will harm the interests of farmers and benefit corporates, a claim denied by the government. The Centre has asserted that these new laws will be beneficial for farmers and will increase their income. The Punjab Assembly last month had adopted a resolution rejecting the Centre's new farm laws and passed four bills it said will counter the contentious legislation enacted by Parliament. The three farm bills -- the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 -- were passed by Parliament recently. Subsequently, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bills. Former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday alleged that by introducing the new farm legislation, the central government was undermining federalism and suppressing the voice of the elected MLAs of Punjab. Addressing a dharna by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress MLAs against the Centre's farm laws at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, he said people of the state would not tolerate any attack on their "pride and turbans." "Those who talk of one nation, one market, are trying to suppress the voice of Punjab and its chief minister. We will not tolerate this. What justice is this? You are trying to suppress the voice of elected MLAs," he said. Sidhu said the central farm laws were "an attack on the federal structure" and against the Constitution of India. Terming the central laws as "black laws", Sidhu claimed they are aimed at helping only corporates and not farmers. "We will not let Ambani and Adani set foot in Punjab and won't let anyone snatch the rights of farmers," he said.Drawing a parallel with the East India Company's hegemony during the colonial era, the firebrand leader accused the BJP-led government of trying to create a monopoly of two-three corporates. He alleged that while corporate tax to the tune of Rs 17 lakh was waived off and termed as 'incentives', small concessions given to farmers are termed as 'subsidies'. "Our turbans are our identity which Guru Nanak Dev ji gave us and we will not let you attack our pride and turbans," Sidhu said. Participating in the dharna, former Akali Dal leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa called for continued agitation to pressure the Centre to withdraw the new farm laws and realize the rights of the farmers of Punjab. Dhindsa also rued the absence of AAP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) MLAs at the dharna saying unity was the need of the hour. Bholath MLA and former AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira attacked the Centre over the farm laws and the blockade of goods trains in the state and said trade with Pakistan must resume to help revive Punjab's economy. Meanwhile, BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday slammed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for the continued suspension of good trains to the state, saying that he and his party are responsible for this situation as they openly encouraged agitations against the farms laws. Punjab Chief Minister Singh had on Sunday written an open letter to Nadda expressing concern over the continued suspension of goods trains by the railways and warned of its dangerous consequence on national security and on the armed forces. He had said that the situation could become extremely dangerous for the country if the armed forces are deprived of critical supplies amid increasingly aggressive overtures from both China and Pakistan. Replying to Singh, Nadda said he shares the Punjab Chief Minister's concern about the situation in the state, "but in my view you are fully responsible for the unfortunate situation that has emerged in the State of Punjab." (editor@dailyworld.in)