Continuing his tirade against the Narendra Modi government’s controversial farm sector legislations passed recently by Parliament, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that his government, if required, will not hesitate from amending the state laws to counter these central laws.

While maintaining that the Centre had no right to enact these laws as it allegedly amounted to violation of the Constitution and an assault on the country’s federal structure, Capt Amarinder said a special session of the Punjab Assembly will be immediately called if legal experts advise making amendment to the state laws to “fight” the central laws.

Extending his government’s full support to the agitating farmers in these “dark and difficult times”, the CM said he will be discussing the issue with his legal team to finalise the next steps, including challenging the Centre’s contentious agriculture laws in the Supreme Court.

“We will take all possible steps to counter the Union government’s assault on the state’s federal and constitutional rights, and fight for the interests of the farmers,” Capt Amarinder said while chairing a meeting with representatives of 31 farmer unions to take their views on the matter.

He said the Congress-led Punjab government would not have any qualms about convening an Assembly session if that is the best course under the circumstances.

The battle will be fought on all fronts, the CM asserted, adding that besides the Congress signature campaign announced yesterday, all panchayats in the state would be requested to pass resolutions against the Centre’s agriculture Acts, which would be sent to the Union government.

Declaring that his government and the Punjab Congress are with the farmers in this “aukhi ghari (difficult time)”, Capt Amarinder said he would take the suggestions of the farmers’ unions to legal experts to finalise the next course of action.

If the new central laws are implemented, it will spell the end of agriculture in the country, the CM charged, warning that “in times ahead, the Union government will follow up these legislations with elimination of minimum support price (MSP) and Food Corporation of India, bringing an end to the time-tested farming procurement and marketing system as we know it”.

”The Mandis (grain markets) that have existed and worked well for more than 60 years will be wiped out, and with MSP also ending, wheat will be sold the same way as maize currently is, at much lower prices than dictated by the MSP,” Capt Amarinder said. The farmers not just in Punjab but across the country will be “ruined”, the Chief Minister added, underlining the need to “fight these draconian BJP-led government’s laws tooth and nail to save agriculture”.

Capt Amarinder said he had written to Prime Minister Modi thrice before the farm Bills were passed by Parliament, urging him to not go ahead with the move as it would create immense problems for the whole nation.

The CM said he did not get any response from the PM.