After warning farm leaders of an investigation into their assets in the run-up to the byelections in Punjab, Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu took a U-turn on Sunday as he thanked farmers for allowing BJP leaders to campaign freely and not disrupting their activities.

Bittu, speaking to media on Sunday, said during parliamentary elections this year, farmers had not allowed BJP candidates in Punjab to campaign freely and kept disrupting their campaign, but they did not disrupt BJP leaders now when byelections were held.
Bittu said he is thankful to farmers, and will act as a bridge between farmers and the central govt to get their issues resolved.

He also said authorities will look into issues concerning a fast unto death announced by farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and will try to resolve the issues.

Earlier, Bittu had said farm leaders had amassed wealth as many of them were eitheracting as commission agents or owned rice mills. He claimed that they were forcibly taking supplies of DAP to different places from railways, and acting like the Taliban.

During the bypolls, BJP candidate from Barnala seat Kewal Singh Dhillon was seen at villages, hotbed of farmers’ protest, and even villagers were seen managing the election booths of BJP. Dhillon is learnt to have got some votes even from villages.