No stage yet to even think of withdrawing support from Khattar govt: JJP

Dismissing reports that the JJP is facing pressure to withdraw its support from the M L Khattar-led Haryana government, a key party leader said on Monday that stage has not yet come.

“I don't think that stage has yet come that we need to even think of that. The Centre is listening to farmers' concerns, so that stage has not yet come,” Jannayak Janata Party’s senior leader Digvijay Singh Chautala told PTI.

Chautala said this in reply to a PTI query after a press conference if the JJP faces any pressure to withdraw its support from the Khattar government amid the farmers' agitation.

Chautala said Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, his elder brother, is regularly talking to Union ministers and the party has urged the Centre to resolve the farmers' issue at the earliest.

“We want farmers’ concerns to be addressed so that they return to their homes. Whatever the Centre may need to do, like summoning Parliament session or whatever they feel may be required, they know it better but we want that the issue should be resolved,” he said.

Earlier replying to a question on two more JJP MLAs on Sunday voicing support to the farmers’ demand for the repeal of the Centre's new farm laws, it is not about four or five legislators of his party, but all 90 members of Haryana want speedy resolution of tillers’ issue.

“All 90 MLAs of Haryana want farmers’ issues to be resolved and the Centre is already talking to the farmers,” he said.

“When I was reading newspapers in the morning, some reports said four of our MLAs, some said six of our legislators, are supporting farmers.” “But I want to say that all 90 MLAs, be it the 40 BJP legislators or the 10 of the JJP or 31 of the Congress or independents, they all along with entire Haryana want the farmers’ issue to be resolved,” he told reporters.

Chautala, who heads party's youth wing Indian National Students Organisation, said they were hopeful that in next round of talks between the government and farmers’ leaders on December 9 “the resolution of the issue will be before all of us”.

Notably, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere have been protesting at Delhi borders for the last twelve days against the central agri-marketing laws and a 'Bharat Bandh' call for December 8 has been given by farmers’ unions.

On former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s demand for a special session of the state assembly and his claim that the BJP-JJP government has lost the confidence of the people and the House, he said, “The reality is that Hooda wants to become chief minister and he is daydreaming.” “Their other leaders like Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala too think they may stand a chance (to become CM) during this farmers agitation and that is why they are making such demands. Their politics should be seen separately from this agitation,” added Chautala.

“I also want to state that we are not going to support the Congress and we have said this before and I am saying this again,” he said. On the opposition parties’ allegation that the JJP is “clinging to power” overlooking farmers' interests, despite having the legacy of former deputy prime minister, late Devi Lal, Chautala, told PTI later, “We come from a farmers' family and with the legacy of Chaudhary Devi Lal Ji, people have a lot of expectations from Dushyant Chautala at this moment.” “He is performing his duty, if not out there in front of the cameras, he is doing it behind the curtain and he is doing it with due responsibility and there will be a fruitful result,” he said.

On farmer leaders’ demand for the repeal of the new farm laws, he said, “If lacunae, shortcomings or doubts are removed, I think all of us should agree that if all those points on which agitation started are addressed, no one should have any problem.” “The whole thing initially was about MSP and our party's stand was very clear on this,” he said.

On the 'Bharat Bandh', he said the party respects feelings of farmers and added the administration should also take care to ensure the peaceful protesters don't face any problem. 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/mlkhattar)