4 more JJP MLAs lend support

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 6

The coalition government in Haryana has come under strain following dissenting voices of five of the 10 JJP MLAs over the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

Four MLAs — Ramkumar Gautam from the Narnaund segment in Hisar district, Ishwar Singh from Guhla Cheeka in Kaithal, Ram Karan Kala from Shahabad in Kurukshetra and Amarjeet Dhanda from Julana in Jind — have expressed support to the farmers’ protest and demanded immediate withdrawal of the three farm laws.

Earlier, Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag had supported the farmers and refused to accept his appointment as chairman of the Haryana Housing Board.

Gautam said on Sunday that he supported the farmers protesting against the three farm laws and asked the Central Government to immediately withdraw the laws and ensure minimum support price to farmers. He said the Prime Minister should accept all demands of the farmers.

“While farmers are producing foodgrain to feed the people, their children are protecting the frontiers of the country. Political leaders who are making inappropriate comments about the protesting farmers should be reined in,” he said.

He asserted that all political parties in Haryana should come together, adopt a resolution favouring acceptance of the demands of farmers and forward it to the Central Government.

Asked whether he had raised the issue at the party level, Gautam said he did not go to party meetings and had not talked to party leaders in this regard.

Ishwar Singh maintained that he had been a farmer and understood the pain and misery of the farmers. Dhanda and Kala issued separate statements, announcing support for the farmers’ protest.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Ministe Dushyant Chautala did not turn up at programmes he was scheduled to attend in Hisar on Sunday. His mother and Badhra MLA Naina Chautala attended a function at Kabir dharamshala in his stead.