FARMERS WOULD HAVE DIED EVEN BACK HOME, SAYS HARYANA MINISTER

In a controversial remark over farmers’ death at various protest sites, Haryana agriculture Minister J P Dalal on Saturday said they would have died even if they had stayed back home.

Dalal made the remark in Bhiwani in response to a reporter’s query over the “death of 200 farmers”. “Had they been at their homes, they would have died there also,” Dalal said.

“Listen to me, out of one to two lakh, do not 200 people die in six months?” he asked in response.

“Someone is dying of a heart attack and someone after falling ill,” he added. Several Punjab and Haryana farmers, participating in farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws at various Delhi border points, have died of different reasons including cardiac arrest.

Hours after making the statement, the Haryana agriculture minister said he has seen “twisted” statements, attributed to him, on social media.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala attacked Dalal over his remarks and said such a statement can only be made by an “insensitive” person.

“These words can only be used by an insensitive man for agitating ‘annadatas’,” said Surjewala in a tweet.

KARNAL: The Karnal police have arrested 10 more accused for vandalising houses of Dalits at Phoosgarh village in district. Police have booked around 200 people under Section 148, 149, 307, 354, 427, 436, 506 of the IPC, the Arms Act and the SC/ST Act. Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia said 13 people have been arrested so far. Police swung into action after members of the Dalit community held a panchayat on Friday and threatened to intensify their agitation if the accused are not arrested by Monday.