Eyeing 2019 parliamentary and assembly polls, Indian National lok Dal, Haryana’s main opposition party, has ramped up its offensive against the BJP-led Central and Haryana Governments accusing them of being “insensitive” towards the issues of the farmers.
Upping the ante against the ruling BJP, the INlD has geared up for its Kisan Sammelan to be held in the national capital on March 7 to raise the issues related to the farmers including Sutlej Yamuna link canal, implementation of Swaminanthan report, Dadupur Nalvi irrigation project, loan waiver among others.
The INlD, which is eyeing political revival in Haryana, has been aggressively raising the demand of construction of the SYl canal from the past one year now.
A party delegation led by leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader, Abhay Singh Chautala also met Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation on Monday to raise issues of SYl canal and Dadupur Nalvi project.
INlD Haryana president Ashok Arora, Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala among other leaders were also accompanying Abhay Chautala during the meeting.
Abhay Chautala while talking to the mediapersons after the meeting said that the party has taken up the issue of construction of SYl canal with Nitin Gadkari and sought his immediate intervention to ensure that the canal is completed at the earliest following the orders of Supreme Court.
“Besides this, we also apprized the Union Minister about the illegal scraping of Dadupur Nalvi project by Haryana Government. The Union Minister has assured us to hold discussion on both these issues with the concerned authorities and then, hold a meeting with INlD delegation again on SYl and Dadupur Nalvi project,” said Chautala.
The INlD leader added that we have also extended an invitation to Nitin Gadkari to attend the Kisan Sammelan on March 7.
The party has been focusing on its proposed mega rally ‘Kisan Sammelan’ to be held in New Delhi and Abhay Chautala is holding meetings across the state to mobilize party workers for the proposed event.
Ashok Arora, INlD Haryana president said that the party will raise the issues of farmers at March 7 ‘Kisan Sammelan’. The BJP has betrayed the farmers and not fulfilled its promises made during the 2014 polls, said he.
The INlD will raise issues of construction of SYl canal, implementation of Swaminathan report, withdrawal of Haryana Government’s decision to scrap three decades old Dadupur Nalvi Irrigation Scheme at the mega rally. Other issues related to the farmers will also be raised at the mega event, added he.
The BJP and Congress party have however dubbed INlD’s proposed Kisan Sammelan as “a political stunt”.
Notably, the INlD has already announced that on return to power in Haryana, the loans of the farmers would be waived off and the agriculture related electricity bills would not only also waived but their domestic bills too would be halved. The party has also promised implementation of Swaminathan report, withdrawal of denotification order of Dadupur Nalvi irrigation project and construction of SYl canal.
Pushing for SYl canal construction, the INlD had last year also held a series of protests including blocking the national highway near Ambala and four other highways in Haryana, another protest at Haryana-Punjab border and at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
Having lost three consecutive assembly elections in the state, the party has been trying for a comeback in the state after being out of power since 2005. The INlD was reduced from its tally of 31 seats in the 2009 assembly polls to just 19 seats in 2014 polls.
INlD chief OP Chautala along with Ajay Chautala are currently serving 10-year jail sentence after being convicted, in teacher recruitment scam in Haryana.