Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij and Agriculture Minister JP Dalal on Friday slammed the Congress leaders over police lathi-charge on a group of farmers in Moga in the party-ruled Punjab, and alleged that the party is only using the farmers to fulfil its political ambition.
Attacking Congress, Vij said that the party is responsible for thrashing farmers in Moga district of Punjab.
He said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had tweeted regarding the incident in Karnal. Presently, there is Congress government in Punjab and even after such a fierce lathi-charge on farmers, no one said anything, said Vij while talking to the mediapersons. Agriculture Minister JP Dalal alleged that the Congress is not bothered about the welfare of farmers and has only been using them to serve its own interest. Why are Congress leaders silent on lathi-charge on farmers in Punjab?, he questioned.
The Punjab Police had on Thursday used batons and a water cannon to disperse a group of farmers who allegedly tried to force their way inside the venue of an event of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab's Moga, which was being addressed by its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Police had claimed some of the protesters scuffled with them, broke barricades and hurled stones in a bid to force their way inside the venue.
CONGRESS DEFENDS POLICE ACTION ON FARMERS IN MOGA
Defending the Punjab Government on Moga incident, Congress’ national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Friday said that there is a huge difference between what happened in Punjab and what happened in Haryana.
“Congress always stands in support of the farmers,” she claimed when asked why the Congress has a different stand on the Karnal incident in BJP ruled Haryana and Moga incident in Congress ruled Punjab.
“The District Administration takes steps to control crowds and if lathicharge took place (referring to Moga incident), I condemn that. I condemn action against farmers, wherever it has taken place, irrespective of whether we are in government or not,” she said.
“Haryana Chief Minister, BJP leaders never condemned the Karnal incident, they tried to hush up things. This is the difference, you must understand…," she added.
Notably, the Congress has slammed the BJP-JJP Government in Haryana over Saturday's lathicharge on farmers in Karnal and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. The State Government had on Wednesday transferred Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha who was caught on camera telling policemen dealing with a farmers' protest to "break their heads". At least 15 farmers were injured after Haryana Police had lathi-charged them at Bastara toll plaza.
Referring to the farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws and sitting at Delhi’s borders for over nine months, the Congress spokesperson said the BJP led Central Government has not bothered to invite them for talks after January.
“Six hundred farmers have died during this agitation, have you heard a word of sympathy from this government for them?” she said.
The Congress spokesperson also criticized the Central Government over its National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) and asked it to stop playing with national assets.