Amarinder Singh's 'Kisan Bus Yatra' to be flagged off in Punjab today

Congress leader Amarinder Singh's three-day 'Kisan Bus Yatra' will be launched at the Congress Bhawan.

Chandigarh: Ahead of Assembly Elections in Punjab, state Congress chief Amarinder Singh's three-day 'Kisan Bus Yatra', which will cover over 500 km in seven districts, will be flagged off on Monday by widows of debt-ridden farmers, who committed suicide.

The yatra will be launched at the Congress Bhawan, where these widows have been invited to join the party's efforts to alleviate the sufferings of farmers in the state.

The move is more than a symbolic gesture, said a statement of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). It added that the move underlined the party's unwavering commitment to safeguard the interests of the farming community.

The statement further said that Amarinder's bus yatra and roadshow comes at a time when Punjab is "reeling under a spate of farmer suicides", adding the yatra underscores the trust of the community in the Congress leader.

The PPCC president has repeatedly promised that once his party comes in power, it would take immediate steps to alleviate the sufferings of the farmers.

He already promised to waive off the debts of farmers and assured them of all possible support in their fight against the anti-farmer policies of the Parkash Singh Badal government.

The PPCC president will travel in a specially designed bus, equipped with basic facilities for his stay.

The bus has a hydraulic platform from where Amarinder will address farmer meetings. A microphone and speaker system has been fitted inside to enable the bus to double up as a mobile public address platform for impromptu meetings.

The yatra will cover the districts of Moga, Faridkot, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Muktsar, Jalalabad and Ferozpur.

Amarinder is expected to be joined by several senior party leaders along the route which will be dotted by kisan sabhs and mandi meetings, in addition to the roadshow.

Branded with the campaign message of 'Karza-Kurki Khatam, Fasal Di Poori Rakam', the hi-tech bus has been designed to connect with the deepest aspirations of the debt-ridden farmers of the state.

(With PTI inputs)