Upping the ante against the ongoing farmers’ agitation against three central farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said the word ‘Kissan’ (farmer) has been tarnished due to unfortunate incidents at the agitation.
“The word ‘Kisaan’ is pure and everyone holds them in high regard. But there has been a rape case, murder case, and also disputes with local people about roads being blocked for which even panchayats have been held. I condemn such incidents which are undemocratic,” Khattar said while addressing a press conference here.
The Chief Minister was referring to the alleged rape case at Tikri border. The State Police had last month launched a probe into allegations by the father of the victim woman, who died after showing Covid-like symptoms, at a hospital in Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district. The women from West Bengal had allegedly been raped by men she had accompanied to the farmers protest site at Tikri border.
Khattar also referred to the death of a 42-year-old man whose family members alleged that he was set on fire by four people associated with farmers’ protest at the Tikri border.
Continuing his tirade against the farmers’ leaders, the Chief Minister said that those spearheading the agitation are in reality not farmers. Real farmers have no objection with the farm laws, they are happy.
He alleged that those opposing the farm laws are only doing so due to political reasons. They are doing so because polls are approaching in Punjab. But there are no polls due in Haryana .There is an agenda to defame the Government using political angle and the Congress is also supporting them in this,” he said.
Making an appeal to the farmers to end the protest, Khattar said the protesting farmer unions should not remain adamant on repeal of the new central farm laws.
It has already been more than seven months and making a precondition of repealing the laws for holding talks with the Government does not serve any purpose, he said.
Referring to the alleged targeting of BJP-JJP leaders in the State over the farm laws, Khattar said we are exercising restraint. They (leaders spearheading the agitation) are saying that the Ministers, MLAs, Chief Minister, Deputy CM cannot go to attend public functions. After all, for those running the Government, it is their responsibility to go among the people and listen to them,” he said, reacting to the recent protests by farmers at public events of BJP-JJP leaders.
The Chief Minister further said only a handful of people are now opposing the farm laws. But we have always exercised restraint as these protesters are our own people. We do not want confrontation. When they say some things, we tolerate it as they are our own people. But exceeding it beyond limit is not in anyone’s interest,” he added, warning the protestors to not indulge in violent acts.
He added because of these politically motivated so-called farmers, businesses of the people living in the nearby villages and towns have been stalled as they have blocked the roads in the name of farmers’ agitation.
Responding to a question regarding operation of tolls on national highways amid farmers’ protest, the Chief Minister said that three tolls of the Haryana Government have been made operational. Now the Centre will take cognizance in the matter of starting the toll of the Central Government. The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is not happy due to the tolls being closed, he said
Describing the new Agricultural Laws as farmer-friendly, the Chief Minister further said that with the implementation of these Laws, farmers would have the freedom to sell their crops in the mandi or open market as per their choice. This time farmers in Haryana have earned more profit by selling mustard crops in the open market by getting a higher price than the MSP, he added.
Notably, farmers have been camping for the last seven months at three border points of Delhi - Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur (along Uttar Pradesh)-- demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.