Will back farmers, say 5 Haryana BJP leaders after ‘secret’ meeting

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 24

A day after their “secret” meeting at Panchkula, former MLAs, who are now with the BJP, said they would stand with farmers in case the ruling party fails to address their issues.

Parminder Singh Dhull, a former MLA from Julana Assembly constituency who led the “secret” meeting of five former legislators of the BJP yesterday on the issue of farmers’ protests, today said that they would fight for farmers’ interests.

Dhull, who along with former MLAs Balwan Singh Daulatpuria (Fatehabad), Rampal Majra (Kalayat), Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur) and Buta Singh (Guhla) attended the meeting held at Panchkula yesterday, said before being members of the BJP, they were farmers first.

While Shyam Singh Rana was elected on BJP ticket in 2014, all others are former MLAs of the INLD who switched over to the BJP before the 2019 Assembly poll.

“We cannot allow farmers’ interests to be overlooked. If there is no MSP, farmers would be completely ruined. We will take up the matter at the party level first and then think of other alternatives. But we cannot allow farmers to suffer like this,” he said.

Quoting reports in a section of the media, Dhull said that the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has already recommended review of the open-ended procurement policy and added that the present Bills were in the direction of implementing these recommendations.

Daulatpuria, however, said that state BJP president OP Dhankar has assured them after their meeting that MSP won’t be affected by the Bills.

Daulatpuria also said that coming from the farming background, they could not allow injustice to be done to farmers.

“Today, wheat is selling for almost Rs 400 less than the MSP. If there is no MSP, farmers will be devastated as they won’t be able to recover their input costs, what to speak of earning profit,” he said.