INLD leaders denied entry to CM’s residence, hold protest

CHANDIGARH: High drama played out outside the residence of Haryana chief minister on Tuesday after a delegation of the state’s main opposition party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leaders, was not allowed to enter it and was stopped for frisking.

The delegation had made the visit to submit a memorandum on farmers’ issues addressed to the prime minister, demanding implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report on fixing minimum support price (MSP) for farm produces.

The delegation, which was led by the leader of the opposition Abhay Chautala and two party MPs, Charanjit Singh Rori and Ram Kumar Kashyap, also included party state president Ashok Arora and a few MLAs.

Heated exchanges were witnessed between INLD leaders and security personnel for over half an hour when the former were denied entry with various personal articles, including mobile phones.

Despite principal secretary to the chief minister RK Khullar trying to convince them, the leaders maintained that the security staff should not frisk or take away phones from the MPs and the leader of opposition.

After they were denied entry, the delegation refused to meet the chief minister and handed over the memorandum to Khullar, claiming they will not to meet the CM at his residence in future. ABOUT THE MEMO

The memorandum pointed out that BJP had earlier promised to the farmers that it will fix the MSP of agricultural produce in accordance with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report, but had not done it after getting elected. It also demanded setting up of a farmers’ cell to redress sufferings of the farmers.

PARTY DELEGATION, WHICH HAD GONE TO SUBMIT A MEMO TO KHATTAR ON FARMERS’ ISSUES, RESOLVED TO NEVER MEET THE CM AT HIS RESIDENCE

CONDEMN

FARMERS’ KILLING Earlier during the day, INLD at its state working committee meeting, decided to send a delegation of the party to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on June 17 to express solidarity with the struggling farmers there.

It expressed concern over the increasing crime against women in the state, power and drinking water crisis and pointed out the sharp rise in crime against women. It highlighted the recent case of brutal gangrape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in Rohtak.