Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday accused the Capt. Amarinder led Punjab Government of driving the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the state against the central farm laws.

The Chief Minister also slammed his Punjab counterpart and Congress leaders for seeking his resignation over the Karnal incident and alleged that the Congress is instigating farmers in the state.

“Who is he (Amarinder Singh) to demand my resignation. Instead, he should resign as he is behind the farmers’ agitation at Delhi borders. 85 percent of those protesting at the Singhu and Tikri borders adjoining the national capital are from Punjab. Farmers from Haryana are happy and not protesting,” the Chief Minister said while addressing a press conference here.

“Punjab Government is behind the ongoing farmers’ agitation. Otherwise (farmer leader) Balbir Singh Rajewal would not have been offering sweets to the Punjab Chief Minister,” he further said.

The Chief Minister was reacting to the statement of Punjab Chief Minister, who had termed the lathicharge on farmers in Haryana’s Karnal a “government-sponsored attack” on Saturday. Capt Amarinder had accused the BJP-JJP led Haryana government of deliberately using brute force against farmers in a desperate bid to end their agitation against the "draconian" farm law. At least 15 farmers were injured in the incident.

Hitting back at Capt Amarinder, Khattar said: “In Punjab, he (Amarinder Singh) is instigating farmers and in Haryana, (Bhupinder Singh) Hooda and other Congress leaders are instigating them. No one has the right to block roads indefinitely.”

“We are not stopping them (farmers) from protesting… In fact, we have provided facilities like water, electricity, medical aid for farmers at the protest sites. But, the agitating farmers should not cross democratic limits of protest,” he said.

Responding to a question on why the Central Government is not holding talks with the protesting farmers, the Chief Minister said that the Centre has been inviting them for a meeting but they have put a precondition of repealing the farm laws.  “This (farmers’ agitation) has become a political issue. Congress and communist parties are supporting them (farmers). They want to contest elections and don’t want any solution,” he said.

“We have an experience of seven years now and know how to handle the farmers’ agitation. If farmers sit down and are willing to talk, a way can be found,” he added.

The farmers have been camping at three border points of Delhi – Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur (along Uttar Pradesh) for nine months now - demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Central Government in September last year.

CM ADMITS KARNAL SDM’s CHOICE OF WORDS IN VIRAL VIDEO WAS NOT CORRECT

Under fire for not taking action against Karnal sub-divisional magistrate Ayush Sinha for his controversial instructions to the cops against protesting farmers in Karnal, the Chief Minister said that the officer’s choice of words was not correct while strictness had to be maintained to ensure law and order situation.

“The officer should not have used those words. If any action has to be taken against him (the officer), it will be first assessed by the District Administration. The DGP is also looking into it and after receiving a report, we will act accordingly,” he said while responding to the demand of strict action against Karnal SDM and Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement criticizing the Chief Minister and seeking an apology from him for the brutal lathi charge on farmers in Karnal on Saturday.

In a video that went viral, Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, a 2018 batch IAS officer, was caught on camera instructing policemen to “crack the heads” of farmers at a protest in Karnal, where over 200 BJP leaders including Chief Minister, state party president Om Prakash Dhankar, MLAs, MPs were to attend a party meeting.

A day before, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had condemned the IAS officer and assured strict action against the officer.

Reacting to the Karnal incident, Khattar said that the lathicharge took place around 12 km away from the place of viral video of the officer and there is no connection between the two incidents. The Administration has to maintain law and order situation, he maintained while defending cops action on farmers.

The Chief Minister further said, “We have no objection to the protests but it should be done in a democratic manner. A month back, the farmers had assured the District Administrations on two occasions in writing to hold a protest in a democratic way. They can show black flags, resort to sloganeering…But they cannot stop someone or disrupt someone’s programmes.”

“In the past, they have stopped the state BJP chief and also attacked the Deputy Speaker’s car. This is against democracy…There is freedom of speech, but there are limitations to every freedom. There is no absolute freedom,” Khattar added.

“This agitation is not gaining anything due to such acts of disruption. The public sentiment is turning against them,” he further said.

Meanwhile, the farmers’ unions on Monday gave an ultimatum to the State Government till September 6 to register FIR against the Karnal SDM and other officials for lathicharge on farmers in Karnal on Saturday.

After a mahapanchayat convened by the farmers’ unions at the grain market in Gharaunda town in Karnal, Bharatiya Kisan Union state president Gurnam Singh Charuni demanded compensation and a job to the next of kin of a farmers who died after the lathicharge on late Saturday night and Rs two lakh compensation for those injured.

He also announced that the farmers will continue to protest against the leaders of BJP and JJP in Haryana.