Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Accuses Punjab Government Of Supporting Farmers' Protest, Criticises Tactics

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday alleged that it seemed the protesting farmers had the support of the Punjab government and flayed the "method" adopted by farmers to press their demands as they were trying to march to Delhi like an army on the offensive.

Addressing the media here, Khattar said that the Punjab government could have stopped the farmers' march anywhere in the state and if it did not, then there must have been some "understanding"’ between them.

Though Khattar did not name the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said that the Delhi government had also said that they supported the farmers’ movement. "Supporting farmers’ demand is one thing but lending support to their movement does not send the right message’," he said, adding that the farmers were moving with tractor trolleys, earth movers, ration and other logistics for a year like an army.

Stating that Haryana did have any objection to them going to Delhi as there are trains, buses and their own vehicles but a tractor is not a mode of transport, it is an agricultural equipment.

Referring to the over-an-year-long 2020 farm stir at Singhu and Tikri borders, Khattar said that people, business houses and industries had faced severe hardships due to it.

Khattar takes on Dallewal's Modi remark

When asked for his take on the remark of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Khattar said that it was a clear-cut political statement and asked if they could lessen Modi’s popularity by putting up such a dangerous demonstration (farmers protest)…. Rather with such things, Modi’s popularity would only go further up. It may be recalled that Dallewal was heard in a video as saying that Modi’s graph had gone very high due to Ram Temple and they (protesting farmers) had little opportunity and they had to see how to down this graph.

"The message going to the people is that it was not the democratic way to protest. Everyone likes the democratic way and people know what is highhandedness," he said. He further asked if the country wanted scenes like what happened at Red Fort in the previous farm stir. While talks are already underway yet they (farmers) could send their delegation to Delhi, he added.