Farmers Movement Archive

Dushyant, Birendra have tarnished their ancestors’ image: Charuni

Hisar: State president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Gurnam Singh Charuni said it is Haryana’s misfortune that two descendants of farm leaders Devi Lal and Sir Chhotu Ram have tarnished their ancestors’ image. He was interacting with media persons at Surewala chowk near Uklana in Hisar while visiting Sarsaud-Bichi Padi toll plaza. “Maternal grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, Birendra Singh is professing support for farmers. If he is genuinely farmer-friendly, he should get his son to resign from the post of MP and support farmers,” Charuni said. Targeting Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, he said, “Dushyant was voted to power by people of the state against the BJP but he betrayed them by selling votes to the BJP and taking the chair of the deputy chief minister in return. He tarnished the image of Tau Devi Lal. We do not need his mediocrity because he does not deserve it,” he said. Referring to raids on arthiyas, Charuni said farmers will not let anyone bother them and if the government does not stop then they will gherao offices of the Income Tax department. On civic body elections, Charuni asked people to vote according to their wish but to support those who are on the side of farmers. Saying that the movement has become a battle between people and corporate houses, he said this is the reason for freeing of toll plazas. He said products of a few corporate houses need to be boycotted but no one can be forced into it. On the government letter for talks, he said the government called farmers five times and they went every time. “The government is doing drama now and wants to show that we are calling and farmers are not coming. When the Home Minister is refusing to buy farmers’ crops on MSP, then what talks?” He asked. According to him, first 70 farmers of Uttarakhand were called but only 10 were farmers. Farmer producer organisations (FPOs) from Haryana were called and later, they also supported the farmers, he said. Charuni urged the Prime Minister to give the assurance that all 23 crops would be purchased on MSP in his Mann ki Baat programme. Referring to misbehavior with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Ambala, he maintained that he was treated well because someone who does not listens to people cannot be the chief minister and has no business going amid the people. Maintaining that the police is not really the enemy of the people, he said farmers would not withdraw the movement fearing registration of these cases. He added that their future strategy would be decided in the meeting itself. He also commended people across the country for seeing through efforts to divide them on religious and communal lines.

The Times of India

2020-12-27

Chandigarh