Updated: December 10, 2020 9:50:16 pm
Indicating that the cracks within JJP are also widening, Ram Kumar Gautam, Narnaund MLA, criticized the anti-desertion law because the MLAs cannot make their point forcefully.
While Haryana’s deputy CM Dushyant Chautala continues to support the BJP In defending the three contentious farm laws, the MLAs in his own party don’t seem to be on the same page as him.
As the confrontation between the Union government and various farmers’ unions continues, discussions about withdrawing support for the BJP in Haryana have started to take place within the Dushyant-led JJP.
In 2019 Assembly polls, when the BJP fell short of a majority by six seats in the 90-member House, it entered into a post-election alliance with JJP, which had 10 MLAs. In exchange for allowing the BJP to form the government, Dushyant had pocketed the post of Deputy CM. Both parties have recently announced that their “alliance is rock solid” and will also participate together in the upcoming municipal body elections in Haryana.
Several MLA said The Indian Express that Dushyant, on December 8, had had a discussion with the JJP MLAs and received comments about the “sentiment of farmers, workers and people in their constituencies and the entire state” about the current scenario, as farmers and the workers form “JJP’s main vote bank.”
JJP MLAs said The Indian Express who have discussed the issue of “withdrawing support for the BJP in Haryana”, if the farmers continue to believe that they were being “exploited by the Union government” and the confrontation does not end, “soon”.
“Koi aisi naubat na aaye, ke sarkaar itna jaada kheenche… lekin isme hum toh prathmikta kisan ki baat ko pehle se bhi de rahe hain, aaj bhi de rahe hain aur aage bhi denge. Kisanon ne, hamaare Haryana pradesh ke voters ne yahan bheja hai hamein. Aaj hum sehyogi ke roop mein kaam kar rahe hain, kal ko yeh thode na hai ke agar kisi ka shoshan hota hai toh aankh moond ke dekhte rahenge isko (We have been giving preference to what farmers have been saying from the beginning and we will continue to do so. Today we are supporting this alliance, but that does not mean that we will be dumb bystanders if we see someone exploited), “JJP MLA de Tohana, Devender Babli , said The Indian Express.
Babli added that he had met with Dushyant on December 8 at the airport (without specifying which one) and had a discussion of almost 90 minutes on this aspect. Follow updates from Farmers Protest LIVE
“The meeting was held for this only to review the current situation in the wake of the farmers’ agitation. Our party is mainly farmers and workers. JJP has the majority of this vote bank today. This pressure (to withdraw support) is on every MLA, on us too and on Dushyant ji as well. We had talks only on this and discussed that this ongoing confrontation should be resolved as soon as possible, ”Babli told The Indian Express.
He further added: “God forbid, if the farmers believe they are being careless, we will even go and sit with them on the roads if that time comes. If the Union government cannot convince the farmers, we stand by the farmers. We have appealed to the Union government, the prime minister, the interior minister, the party president, the chief minister and also the president of our party. It is not the problem only of the JJP, but of the MLAs of all political parties. It should be solved as soon as possible ”.
However, on the persistent attack by farmers and opposition against JJP and its MLAs to resign their positions and support the farmers movement, Babli said: “If we are part of the government, only we can raise their problems. Otherwise, we would also be sitting with them (farmers) on the roads. Since people have made us able to occupy these chairs and we can work on their well-being, this is how we are doing it relentlessly. Today, if we are part of the government, that is why the government is listening to us. That is why our words have a weight. We are energetically raising the demands of farmers to the Union government. “
Babli added that Dushyant Chautala was also in constant contact with central government leaders and pressure is being put on the BJP to resolve the standoff as soon as possible.
However, another Barwala JJP MLA, Jogi Ram Sihag, told The Indian Express that “no discussion has been held on the ongoing farmer agitation with party-level elected MLAs” adding that “there was no aware “of his party’s position on the matter.
“I don’t know about the position of the party, but I have mine. These three agricultural laws will not only harm farmers, but also the common man across the country. I can’t say anything about the party’s position. Only Dushyant ji will talk about it. It is not even my power to make him speak as he is a taller leader than me. Unless these three pieces of legislation are repealed or the appropriate amendments are made, the farmer will not survive. Even the country will not be able to survive, ”Sihag said.
On the discussions within JJP, on the ongoing farmer agitation, Sihag added: “No, there has been no discussion with us at the party level about this,” adding that he did not know how decisions were made in his party. . .
He added: “This party was established during the elections (of 2019). We are 10 legislators. If we leave this duo of mother, son and another Anoop Dhanak, rest, the seven of us have come from here and there. There is not much attraction with the party. That’s why none of the seven have any problems. It’s okay for him (Dushyant) to make his own policy, we make ours. We had to become an MLA, we wanted the ticket, we got it. The reality is that we got our votes, votes from the party too, and we became an MLA. That is why we speak individually. Although, it doesn’t happen at a party and it shouldn’t be happening. We are party MLA, we are party office bearers. A party has its system, guidelines that everyone must talk about. This is not the case with us. We talk, what we think is right. So far no meeting has been held with us at the party level. “
In October, Sihag had also refused to accept the post of chairman of the Housing Board, showing his solidarity with the farmers.
Responding to a question about what the party was doing to reduce the growing anger of farmers towards JJP, another Hathin JJP MLA, Harsh Kumar said that JJP was “putting pressure on BJP” to resolve the ongoing standoff. “Dushyant ji is making efforts. Farmers are making efforts from outside through their movement, our party is making efforts from within. Whatever pressure we can exert, we are exerting it on them. [BJP] Classify it. We are in contact with the BJP leaders to ask them to fix it. It has been too many days for farmers. We also ask the Center to solve it. After all, until the farmer keeps protesting. “
On JJP’s position, Harsh said: “The party’s position can only be counted by Dushyant ji or Ajay Chautala ji.”
On the party-level discussions, Harsh added: “The farmers have demands. Everything they demand must be accepted. If you want my well-being, do what I tell you. I will bear the consequences. If I have a wrong thought, I will bear the consequences. Due to this ongoing bandh, the party has also not been able to call a meeting. Although there are discussions, we are tied to the discipline of the party. BJP is a bigger party in the alliance, we are a smaller party. “
Another JJP MLA from Julana, Amarjeet Dhanda, said: “Our group is farmers, our annadata. The Union government has agreed to give MSP in writing improvements to the Mandi system. We have had discussions with Dushyant ji that our party is the farmers’ party. We always support farmers. “
Indicating that the cracks within JJP are also widening, Ram Kumar Gautam, Narnaund MLA, criticized the anti-desertion law because the MLAs cannot make their point forcefully.
“Bas isi liye log ye sochte hain ke teri memberi na chali jaye. Aur memberi jaye toh kisi baat pe jaye. Aisi stage abhi aayi nahi. Aisi stage kabhi aaye toh koi baat nahi bhai memberi bhi chali jaye toh bhi koi baat nahi. “
Calling the fight against desertion a horrendous law, he added: “Law against desertion bahut ganda kanoon hai. Desh ki azaadi ke liye, desh ki democracy ke liye bhi galat hai ye. Modi Sahab ne jis tarah se 370 dhaara todi hai na, bahut bhala kaam kiya, mandir ka nirmaan kiya, bahut badhiya kaam kiya… .Isi tarah se ye anti-dropout kanoon ban reha hai, Modi ji ko isko todna chahiye sabse pehle. Isi kanoon ne ghulam bana rakha hai. Agar ye kanoon na ho, toh badhiya raaj chale saare. “
Gautam said: “Although the Union government says that these are good laws, the people to whom they apply do not accept them. So what’s the rush to implement it. As such, this country has a system where governments don’t even accept the Supreme Court’s verdicts, if it doesn’t suit them. Punjab does not agree to give SYL water. “
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