Dushyant Chautala has said that farmers’ unions must choose the amendment route to find a solution.
Chandigarh:
Farmers unions must choose the amendment route to find a solution, Haryana Senior Deputy Minister Dushyant Chautala said, urging protesters, who have refused to budge on their demand for a complete rollback of the three farm laws of the center, to offer “concrete suggestions”. He also offered to become a mediator.
Chautala also attacked opposition parties for “using farmers for political gain” and reiterated that he would resign on the day he feels he cannot guarantee a minimum price support (MSP) to farmers in Haryana.
“Congressional leaders don’t even know the names of the summer and winter crops. They are doing politics in the name of supporting farmers,” said Party Chairman Jannayak Janta (JJP), which supports the BJP-led government in Haryana and whose central bank of votes are the farmers.
“Farmers should speak to the Center, which has repeatedly invited union leaders to discussions. A solution cannot be found without dialogue … I think the laws need many amendments. The center is ready to give written guarantees for MSP (minimum price support), accept changes to the Electricity Bill, “he said at a press conference where he gave the example of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement for months in 2011.
Chautala’s suggestions turned the tide of farmers who, on Wednesday, said they were ready to have a dialogue, but that the government must come with “an open mind.” They added that the center must send “a concrete proposal in writing instead of repeating the amendments that have been rejected.”
On Thursday, Chautala urged the leaders of the 40 unions that lead the movement to “think about the well-being of farmers and initiate dialogue.”
The statement came when Chautala was boycotted in his home constituency ahead of a visit, where villagers requested his resignation in support of the farmers’ demand.
Leave and support the farmers, the villagers said after breaking down the helipad built for their visit.
Amid pressure on his party to win the support of the state government ML Khattar, Chautala’s appeal on Thursday is in sync with his ally BJP. “There is no pressure on the government,” he said.
Lakhs of farmers have been protesting along Delhi’s borders for the past 28 days demanding the repeal of three farm laws that they fear will strip them of MSP and leave them vulnerable to exploitation by companies.
The center, which has held multiple rounds of talks with farmers without any breakthrough so far, has said the laws simply open up more markets and that opposition parties are misleading farmers.
Both opposition parties and farmers have rejected the accusation.
On Thursday, opposition leaders in Congress, NCP, DMK, PAGD, RJD, SP, CPI (M), CPI, CPI (ML), AIFB and RSP leaders presented a joint statement dismissing as “unfounded” the accusations of the ruling dispensation that farmers be “duped” and “duped” by opposition parties.
“The call for this historic struggle was issued by more than 500 Kisan organizations across the country under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Many of us had opposed these laws when they were being enacted in Parliament without discussion,” the joint statement issued read.
(With PTI inputs)
.
