Haryana Govt Treated Farmers As Terrorists: Hooda
Congress leader and former chief minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and said that Haryana government has treated farmers like “terrorists”.
“Arvind Kejriwal government is not stopping farmers from protesting, Punjab government is also in support of farmers, but Haryana government is treating farmers like terrorists,” said Hooda at a press conference in Delhi.
Hooda also hit out at Khattar’s statement that farmers from Haryana are not part of the protest march called ‘Delhi Chalo’. “If Haryana farmers didn’t participate in the protest, then I want to ask him (CM Khattar), who were the people on whom they (police) fired water canon? Who were those people they (police) have picked from villages a day earlier and who were those people, they filed a case for agitating, and they (CM Manohar Lal Khattar) are saying Haryana farmers are not participating in protest? This is an insult to Haryana farmers.”
Hooda also hit out at Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). The BJP-JJP alliance government has proved that they are anti-farmer. They just want to be in power and are sitting on their chairs putting Fevicol on it, Hooda said.
“We are with farmers. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are against the new farm laws because they are against farmers,” Hooda said at a press conference.
It is fundamental right of farmers to raise their concerns. If they were not stopped by the Haryana government, the matter might have been resolved by now.
Meanwhile, a meeting of farmers is underway at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana) as they continue their protest against the Central farm laws.
The Home Minister on Saturday has said that the Centre is ready to deliberate on every problem and demand of the farmers as soon as they move to the ground allocated by the Delhi Police.
The farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, embarked on Dilli Chalo march to protest against the three new farm laws. Farmers were seen sitting together and discussing their plans regarding the protest.
This is a key meeting since farmers are yet to decide on moving to Burari from borders after a request from the Centre. During the meeting, the farmers raised anti-government slogans and saying “Fulfil our demands” and “We will not go back”.
Over the past few months, thousands of farmers mainly from Punjab have been protesting against the new agricultural legislation which they say could be exploited by the private sector to buy their crops at low prices.
While the government has maintained that the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the markets directly, protesters fear that these could dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system, thereby disrupting their timely payments.
The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by the Upper House in September through voice vote despite objection from opposition parties. (ANI)
