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Haryana CM objects to farmers marching like army on offensive
Without naming AAP, Khattar says Punjab government could have stopped the movement of farmers. If they didn’t, there must have been some understanding.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said it seems that the protesting farmers have the support of the Punjab government.
Responding to a question during a briefing, Khattar said that the way things have been conducted indicated this. “I would not like to comment on this as we are not witness to any such conversation where political support to protesting farmers have been promised. The Punjab government could have stopped the movement of farmers. If they didn’t, then there must have been some understanding,” he said.
Without naming the Aam Aadmi Party, he said that the Delhi government also says that they support the farmers’ movement. “Supporting demands of farmers is one thing but lending support to their movement does not send the right message,” Khattar said.
He criticised the method adopted by farmers to press for their demands, saying they are trying to march to Delhi like an army on the offensive.
He said the farmers are moving with tractor-trolleys, earth-movers and ration for a year -- just like an army. “We have an objection to their method,” Khattar said on the farmers’ call for marching to Delhi. “We don’t have any objection to them going to Delhi. There are trains, buses and their own vehicles. But a tractor is not a mode of transport. It is an agricultural equipment.”
Farmers from Punjab are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, seeking to march towards Delhi to pressurise the Centre to accept their demands.
The farmer leaders have said they will not make any fresh attempt to move towards the national capital till the meeting is held, asserting that the next course of action will be decided on the basis of the Centre’s proposals.
Khattar also referred to the farmers’ previous agitation against the now-repealed farm laws and said how they camped at Tikri and Singhu borders for a year and causes hardships to many people.
“Even today, there are several videos of people appealing that they (farmers) should be stopped as their businesses will suffer,” said Khattar, responding to a question on the farmers’ call for Dilli Chalo.
“We have an objection to their (farmers) method,” said Khattar, adding that everybody has a democratic right to visit the national capital. “But how to proceed, what is the motive? These things must be kept in mind.” To a question on Thursday’s meeting between the three Union ministers and farmer leaders in Chandigarh, Khattar said he is hopeful that some way out will emerge.
