At a time when the farmers have called for intensifying their protest against three central farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has convened a meeting of state BJP MLAs, state district presidents, Morcha presidents and senior party leaders on Wednesday to chalk out a strategy to reach out to the people of the state.
The BJP's meeting is convened to begin preparations of the party in view of upcoming local body polls and panchayat polls in the state.
The ongoing farmers' protest will be one of the key agendas at the meeting with the BJP planning to devise a strategy to deal with the protests faced by the party MLAs and leaders across the state.
With farmers continuing their protest against the leaders of BJP and its alliance partner JJP in the state, the MLAs of both the parties are finding it difficult to go among the general public and attend public events since the past several months. Upping the ante against the ongoing farmers' agitation, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently said that the word 'Kissan' (farmer) has been tarnished due to unfortunate incidents at the agitation.
The state Cabinet Ministers and party leaders have also intensified their attack on the ongoing farmers' protest terming it as a “politically motivated protest.”
While talking to the mediapersons OP Dhankar, Haryana BJP chief on Tuesday said that a meeting has been convened on Wednesday. All party MLAs, state district chiefs, Morcha chiefs and senior party leaders will attend the meeting which will be presided over by the Chief Minister.
Several issues will be discussed at the meeting. Discussion will also be held on how the government's welfare schemes can be promoted and benefits can be extended to the people of the state. The party will devise a strategy to connect with the people of the state and redress their grievances, he added. BJP's Wednesday's meeting comes after a series of meetings held in the month of June. On June 22, the Chief Minister had held a joint meeting of MLAs of BJP and JJP, sending out a message that “all is well” in the alliance.
Later on June 24, Haryana BJP state executive committee meeting was held where the party leaders had prominently raised the issue of ongoing farmers' agitation and had stressed on the need to counter the narrative that “BJP is anti-farmer”.
Notably, thousands of farmers have been camping at three border points of Delhi – Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur (alongUttar Pradesh) for over seven months, - demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.