Farmers Movement Archive

Cong walks out of Khattar’s trap indirectly seeking support to condemn boycott of BJP-JJP leaders

The growing worry of the ruling BJP-JJP coalition government leaders about their inability to move freely across Haryana and hold public functions due to the ongoing boycott call by the agitating farmers echoed in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.Ever since the farmers’ protests began against Centre’s three contentious farm laws, now put on hold by the Supreme Court, different villages and unions have not been letting the BJP-JJP leaders to hold functions.This boycott by a section of the public has left leaders of the ruling party red-faced.The continuous boycott and protests being held outside residences of BJP legislators has been dominating the discourse within BJP and the party has been reaching out to Congress to defuse the situation.In this backdrop, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar moved an impromptu resolution in what was a ‘well-crafted move’ to seek Congress’ support to officially condemn those giving a call to boycott to “leaders of any political party”.Before the CM floated the idea of resolution, BJP’s Ambala City MLA Aseem Goel informed the House that some people with vested interests held a “highly abusive” demonstration outside his residence.He accused the Congress of backing such protesters drawing sharp reaction from the Opposition.Parliamentary affairs minister Kanwar Pal also persuaded the Congress to intervene and defuse this “critical situation prevailing in state” where BJP-JJP leaders cannot hold functions.“Will the Opposition keep mum and do nothing,” he asked, even as Speaker Gian Chand Gupta reminded the principal Opposition party about its responsibility towards democracy.“The resolution is in favour of the democracy. Both the ruling party and the Opposition have equal responsibility when the issue is about saving the democratic setup,” Gupta said, pleading that the resolution doesn’t mention name of any political outfit.The Congress was, however, unmoved and refused to entertain the desperate pleas of the ruling party.Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and former two-time chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda dismissed Khattar’s move terming it “unnecessary” and questioned the need of bringing in such a resolution in the House.The single line resolution reads: “This House passes a resolution condemning if any section of the society or any organisation announces to boycott leaders of any political party.”Amid din, the resolution was adopted with voice vote, while the Congress staged a noisy walk out from the House against the resolution.Earlier, the CM had targeted the Congress for instigating people behind the call to boycott BJP-JJP leaders - a charge that Hooda stoutly refuted.While moving the resolution the CM said that voting will be carried out in this regard if required. He said that the responsibility of the ruling party is as much as that of the Opposition to protect democracy.“Stop instigating protesters. Congress will have to come forward and stop what the protesters have been doing,” Khattar said.“Neither has any Congress MLA instigated any organisation or class to boycott political leaders, nor will they do this,” Hooda said, asking the CM to withdraw the resolution as it was “unnecessary.”

Hindustan Times

15-03-2021

Chandigarh