Only a handful of people are supporting farmers’ stir: Manohar Lal Khattar

As protests against the leaders of BJP-JJP continued in Haryana, the state’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday claimed that only “a handful of people” were supporting the ongoing farmer agitation.

Talking to the journalists after holding a meeting with the MLAs of BJP-JJP alliance and independent legislators, Khattar said, “Currently, only a muthee bhar (handful) of people are supporting the agitation. Their numbers are not big. The common farmers have no opposition to these laws.”

The Chief Minister also said the farmers are getting all the benefits of government schemes — like that of direct payment in their accounts in lieu of selling their crops. “They like the provision under the new proposed laws in which their crops can be sold anywhere. A maximum number of farmers like the proposed laws. A handful of people who have their own agenda are opposing (the laws),” he claimed. The Chief Minister also claimed that “there are voices against the agitators from many places”.

When asked why the government doesn’t take action, if they are just a “handful of people”, Khattar said, “Everybody has a right to express their views in the democracy. Those who are opposing and those who are supporting (the laws) are our own people. They are from our state. This is not the issue of taking any big action. There is no problem if the protests are staged democratically.”

When asked about Tuesday’s event, the Chief Minister said the meeting with legislators of the ruling alliance has taken place after a long time in which governance-related issues were discussed. “One more meeting will be held next week to discuss some more issues,” he added.

Thousands of farmers have parked themselves at the borders of Delhi since December 2020 to protest three contentious farm laws that were passed by the Parliament in September last year. The protesters have termed the new laws “anti-farmer and anti-poor”. The agitators have also held several protests against the leaders of BJP-JJP in Haryana during their visits to villages and towns, as part of the ongoing agitation. Farmer leaders have been alleging that “corporates will grab the land of farmers after implementation of the new farm laws”.

However, Haryana BJP president, Om Prakash Dhankar, on Tuesday, said, “The government wants the farmers to get benefits of both; bazar and the government. The farmers should not limit themselves to the mandis only. If the bazar (market) offers them better prices for their crops, then they stand to gain only. If they don’t get good prices, then certainly they should be given the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops in the mandis as before. The farmer outfits should have ended the agitation when the Central government agreed for amendments in the farm laws and had offered to suspend the same for 18 months.”

Farmer group submits memorandum supporting the new laws

Haryana CM Khattar on Tuesday suggested that a group of 30-40 farmers, having factual knowledge about the farm laws, should be constituted to spread awareness among their peer groups in each village. “Rather than agitating against the farm laws, every farmer should be well versed about the benefits of these laws so that those who are trying to spread misinformation can be exposed,” said Khattar in a meeting with a delegation of farmers on Tuesday.

He also suggested that if needed, training of farmers to get ample knowledge about these new farm laws should be conducted so that they can get well versed about the new laws and can further spread awareness about the same among their peers.

The delegation of farmers, led by Haryana BKU (Mann) president Guni Prakash, later submitted a letter of support to the CM on the issue of farm laws and said that “from Day One, the real farmers were in favour of these legislations, while the so-called farmers have given a political colour to this peaceful movement.” BKU (Mann) is headed by former independent Rajya Sabha member Bhupinder Singh Mann.

Mann was one of four-members of a committee that had been formed by the Supreme Court in January this year to hear the parties concerned and understand the ground situation related to the issue of the new farm laws. Later, the SC had suspended the implementation of the three farm laws until further notice in a bid to end the ongoing impasse. However, with the farm outfits raising questions over the panel appointed by the Supreme Court, Mann had recused himself from the committee. Mann’s close associate, Guni Prakash, had then told The Indian Express, “We are in support of three farm laws as we are in favour of the open market.”