NDA’s ordinances drag Haryana farmers to roads, conflicting voices among BJP-JJP leaders emerge

The three laws promulgated through ordinances by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government have not only dragged Haryana farmers to the roads but have also acted as a catalyst in brewing ‘conflicting voices’ among leaders of the BJP-JJP alliance in the state. Moreover, this has also virtually caused a vertical split among the state unit of the BJP, with certain party MLAs and MPs coming in support of the agitating farmers who braved the Haryana Police’s lathicharge in Kurukshetra for raising their voice against the three agricultural ordinances promulgated on June 5.

Demanding withdrawal of the ordinances, Haryana farmers launched a massive protest ahead of Parliament’s Monsoon Session during which the agriculture ordinances - The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 – were tabled.

The Union government though claims that the three ordinances will create farmer and trader friendly environment for smooth sale-purchase of agricultural produce, farmers and middlemen (aarhtiyas), however, are of the view that the decision is to do away with the MSP regime and introduction of private players in the market.

Supporting his government, senior BJP leader and state Home Minister Anil Vij has outrightly negated the report of lathicharge on agitating farmers claiming that no medico-legal report (MLR) case was reported and nobody received any injury. He even claimed that no orders were passed to use force on farmers.

He, however, claimed that the police only wanted that roads should not be blocked at this time of the Coronavirus pandemic as ambulances were moving with patients. Farmers have the right to present their version, but not to block roads, Vij added.

Two BJP leaders, Dharambir Singh and Brijendra Singh, Lok Sabha MPs from Bhiwani and Mahendragarh, respectively, have supported the protesting farmers and condemned use of police force by the government without listening to their voice in a democratic country.

Son of former Union Minister Birender Singh and a former IAS officer, Brijendra Singh, even took to Twitter and wrote: “The episode during the agitation of farmers in Kurukshetra is painful. I believe the farming community has the right to raise their demands. The restrictions related to corona apply equally to all sections of society. I condemn the efforts to make an example of the farmers by lathicharging them.”

Both Dharambir and Brijendra are members of a panel constituted by the BJP’s state chief Om Prakash Dhankar to pacify the farmers and hold talks. The BJP’s Kurukshetra MP, Nayab Singh Saini, is the third member of the panel.

The Haryana BJP chief, Om Prakash Dhankar, who is heading a panel constituted by the state government to pacify the farmers, was of the opinion that the dispute should have been solved through a dialogue. The lathicharge was not an appropriate tool to solve the issue, he said.

The political partner of the BJP in Haryana, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), has also condemned the state government for using force against the protesting farmers. Digvijay Chautala, the younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, has even demanded a probe into the lathicharge incident. Dushyant is still silent on the issue.

Abhay Chautala of the INLD, however, termed the ordinances death warrants of farmers.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana’s former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, has slammed the BJP-JJP government for its action against agitating farmers. Hooda has served a 10-day ultimatum to the government to take back cases registered against the farmers or face agitation against the state government.

He said the farmers were agitating for their legitimate demands. By bringing farm ordinances, the government has forced the farmers to come out on the streets and protest. No ordinance could be in farmers’ interest unless it guarantees MSP and there is a discussion in Parliament, added Hooda, saying that the government should bring an ordinance and ensure that if someone procured the crop outside the grain market below the MSP, then a case would be registered against the purchasers. “We will bring a private bill in this regard,” Hooda said.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kumari Selja has sought compensation for the farmers who have suffered injuries in Kurukshetra and cancellation of the FIRs registered against them. “The Congress will hold demonstrations at the district levels on September 21,” she added.