Farmers Movement Archive

Spoil your MLA’s peace of mind, govt will collapse: Farm leader

Kitlana Toll Plaza (Bhiwani): Asserting that the agitation against the Centre's farm laws is going strong, farm union leaders on Sunday urged the farmers to build pressure on their area MLAs to support their cause and also remain vigilant against those trying to divide them to weaken the movement. Addressing a jam-packed mahapanchayat organised at Bhiwani’s Kitlana toll plaza, BKU ( Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “We built so much pressure in Punjab that Akali MP Harsimrat Badal withdrew her support to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. The same needs to be done by the farmers in Haryana.” Targeting the junior alliance partner in Haryana’s BJP-JJP combine government, he added, “You all need to spoil the peace of mind of your elected MLAs, who took your votes and joined the BJP by going against the people’s mandate. Once farmers adopt this stance against the JJP MLAs, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government will collapse within two days. And the day the Haryana government falls, the (Narendra) Modi government (at the Centre) will come crashing down.” Expressing similar sentiments, farm leader Darshan Pal Singh said “the BJP-JJP government has lost the right to stay in power as it let down the people.” BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, who was also present on the occasion, warned against alleged attempts to weaken the stir by calling it the agitation of Punjab and Haryana. Praising Rajewal for providing sound leadership to the stir and assuring full support to the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, he told the huge gathering, “The government will leave no stone unturned to create a wedge between the people by calling the agitation Sikhs versus others, or Jat versus others. I am proud of my Sikh brothers from Punjab, who are leading this agitation and their decision will the final.” Referring to the Republic Day incidents at the Red Fort, he said the youth were misguided by the government agencies to give ‘Kisan Andolan’ a bad name. He also lauded the role of Haryana khap panchayats in strengthening the stir. Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu faced opposition from the crowd when he tried to downplay the resignation of INLD leader and Ellenabad MLA Abhay Chautala from the legislative assembly in support of farmers. Among others present on the occasion were Dadri independent MLA Sombir Sangwan, Meham MLA Balraj Kundu along with various khap leaders. However, Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was conspicuous by his absence. Taking a lesson from the Jind mahapanchayat, where the stage had collapsed, the organisers had brick-lined the stage this time. Also, breaking from tradition, a special lane was created for women to sit in the mahapanchayat.

The Times of India

2021-02-08

Chandigarh