Farmers keep BJP leaders ‘hostage’, attack car of MP in Haryana

CHANDIGARH:  Tension prevailed at a village in Rohtak district on Friday after the locals allegedly held a group of BJP leaders, including a former state minister, hostage inside a temple. 

The saffron leaders said they went to the village to watch live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from Kedarnath shrine.    

The locals had reportedly decided to not allow BJP politicians in the village over the contentious farm laws enacted by the central government.

The incident happened when former minister Manish Grover and some BJP leaders went to a temple in Kiloi village around 10 am.

When the villagers came to know that BJP leaders were inside the temple, they assembled outside and blocked the main entrance.

The situation remained tense till around 5.30 pm when the ‘hostages’ were released after senior administrative and police officials pacified the villagers.

Some villagers said they took the extreme step because the BJP leaders came to the village despite knowing that farmers had given a call to not allow BJP leaders enter the villages.

“They do not go to mandis (grain market) to check procurement of paddy or wheat but visit temples to create division in society,” said a villager.

Meanwhile, an official said the BJP leaders were released after holding talks with the villagers. He said the incident happened because of some “misunderstanding”. 

Grover played down the incident saying the dispute arose due to a misunderstanding.  

“The matter was resolved as soon as villagers understood the reality,” he said adding that he neither apologised to anyone nor was it a serious matter.  

In another incident, the front windshield of BJP MP Ram Chander Jangra’s car was smashed allegedly by farmers when he visited Narnaund town in Hisar district.

No one was hurt in the incident while the minister described the incident as a “murder attempt”.

Jangra's car was smashed after some miscreants allegedly threw lathis on the vehicle.

Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws enacted last year have been opposing programmes of leaders of Haryana's ruling BJP and Jannayak Janta Party.

A group of protesters carrying black flags blocked Jangra's route in Hisar's Narnaund, according to police.

Later, the road was cleared, allowing the Rajya Sabha MP to proceed, the police said.

Jangra said police officials informed him that two people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

"After concluding my programme, I was on my way to attend another function when some miscreants threw lathis on my car, leaving it damaged. No one was hurt," Jangra told reporters.

He was sitting in the back seat of the car.

"I spoke to Haryana DGP and the SP regarding this incident. I have demanded strict punishment as per law against the culprits. This is a clear murder attempt," the MP said.

"I was going to attend two more programmes in Narwana and Uchana. As my car was damaged, I had to cancel the visits," Jangra said.

"I was attending a social function. It was not a political function. Will they (farmers) oppose social functions too?" he asked.

Hundreds of farmers are encamped at Delhi borders since November last year demanding that the government repeal the three agri laws -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

They claim that these laws will leave them at the mercy of corporates.

They are also demanding a new law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of talks with farmers to break the deadlock, has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer.

(With PTI Inputs)