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Will join stir if protesting unions’ invite: Charuni

By, Karnal
Feb 17, 2024 08:04 AM IST

He was in Karnal to support his union members who had opened Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 for toll-free movement of vehicles for three hours – 12 to 3 pm as per the state-wide call

Haryana farm leader Gurnam Singh Charuni on Friday said he would join the agitation if the protesting unions call him.

Union members opened Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 for toll-free movement of vehicles for three hours – 12 to 3 pm as per the state-wide call. (HT Photo)
Union members opened Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 for toll-free movement of vehicles for three hours – 12 to 3 pm as per the state-wide call. (HT Photo)

He was in Karnal to support his union members who had opened Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 for toll-free movement of vehicles for three hours – 12 to 3 pm as per the state-wide call.

“I will join them only when invited,” he told the reporters.

“There is no point in going to protest without any invitation. I want to avoid situations that can result in any kind of internal confrontation or damage,” Charuni added.

Farmers lay seize to toll plazas

Tolls on various highways of Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Kaithal were also made free.

Speaking to the reporters, Charuni detailed regarding the three-day events in support of agitating farmers.

He said that the union will take out a tractor march in every tehsil of Haryana on Saturday and Sunday. He will chair a meeting of farmers unions, khap panchayats and worker unions in Kurukshetra on Sunday to decide on the further course of action, Charuni added.

“These programmes are being organised to condemn the police action against the protesting farmers,” Charuni said.

When asked about any reason behind not joining them yet, Charuni said that he was intentionally sidelined because he went in politics.

“I’m in farm activism for the last three decades and have dedicated my life, land and family for the cause. Five senior members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha including me, Balbir Rajewal, Yogender Yadav, are into politics, but only I was targeted,” he added.

Earlier, Charuni had supported the demands of protesting farmers but also criticised the organisations for not taking everyone along when the demand for legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) affects every farmer.

So far, he had stayed away from the protests being led by Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non political), of which his union is not part of. So does, the Naresh Tikait-led Bhartiya Kisan Union.

During interviews ahead of the agitation last week, Charuni accepted that his cadre was getting anxious, whether to join their counterparts or stay put.

This is worth mentioning that Amarjeet Singh Mohri, Tejveer Singh, Jai Singh Jalbera, Navdeep Jalbera and others, spearheading the Haryana contingent in KMM, are founders of Ambala-based BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh - SBS), a break-away faction of BKU (Charuni).

The foundation of SBS group and Sir Chotu Ram faction in Karnal was only Charuni’s call to help farmers contest elections in Punjab in 2021 during the protests against three farm laws.

Last year, at a rally in Kurukshetra with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary and Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav, Charuni had reiterated his intention to enter active politics to raise voice for farmers in parliament or state assembly. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday had lauded this decision of Charuni.

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