BSP demands CM Khattar take action on Haryana minister's 'farmers would've died anywhere'

On Sunday, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has demanded that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar take action against state Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal after his statement on farmers in which he said that 200 farmers died during the ongoing protests would have died anywhere. 

BSP's national spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria said that there is no place for violence during any kind of protest but CM Khattar should take action against his minister who abused the death of farmers during agitation. 

"BSP believes in the Constitution and does not support violence anywhere. There is no place for violence during any kind of protest. The Constitution and democracy allow peaceful protests. But Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar should also speak about his minister who is abusing the death of farmers during agitation. The Chief Minister should also tell the whole country and should take action against his minister," Bhadoria told ANI.

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On being asked about the death of "200 farmers" during the ongoing stir against farm laws, while addressing a press conference in Haryana's Bhiwani on Saturday, Dalal said that farmers would have died even if they had stayed back home. 

However, later Dalal apologised for his statement and clarified that he is committed to the welfare of farmers.

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Bhadoria also commented on Khattar's announcement of bringing the law to recover damages to public property from protesters during protests, he said: "There is no place for violence in a civilised society."

On Saturday, Khattar said his government is planning to bring a law under which protesters will have to pay for the damage to public properties during any protest.

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Protest Against 3 Farm Laws

The farmers are protesting against The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price (MSP) and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

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(With ANI Inputs)