‘Pakoda’ politics gives way to sugarcane protest by Congress
‘POOR REMUNERATION’ Party MLAS pose for yet another photoop outside House
CHANDIGARH: After Tuesday’s ‘pakoda’ politics, Wednesday saw Congress legislators in Haryana posing for yet another photo-op — this time holding sugarcane stalks outside the assembly to protest against “poor remuneration” paid to farmers for cane purchase.
Karan Singh Dalal, Congress MLA from Palwal, said during the zero hour that he wanted to highlight the poor sugarcane prices being paid to the farmers by the BJP government. “Cane growers are forced to sell their produce to neighboring states,’’ Dalal said seeking a ruling from the assembly speaker to his proposed calling attention motion on cane prices.
Speaker, Kanwar Pal said he has only accepted the calling attention motion proposed by the Congress MLAS on the issue of intoxication and drugs.
‘CONGRESS NEEDS TO HIRE AN EXPERT’
Taking a swipe at Congress, agriculture minister OP Dhankar said the cane stalks brought by the protesting Congress MLAS were certainly not from Haryana. “The grass lacked the quality of Haryana sugarcane. We do not know from where did the Congress MLAS got the cane stalks,’’ he said sarcastically.
“The cane stalks were certainly not from Meham or Sonepat or Kalanaur. The Congress MLAS should be administered an oath to declare the antecedents of the cane they held in their hands,’’ the minister said.
Dhankar said there was no issue at all regarding the pricing and purchase of sugarcane from the growers.
“We are giving the best price...there is no outcry from the growers. The Congress MLAS are merely doing a nautanki to seek attention,’’ the minister said.
Yamunanagar BJP MLA Ghanshyam Dass too joined Dhankar in ridiculing the Congress MLAS: “This cannot be the Yamunanagar cane as being claimed by Congress MLA Anand Singh Dangi. Cane grown in our area is very succulent,’’ Dass remarked.
Even as Dalal, Dangi and others continued pressing their argument, Dhankar advised them to hire an expert to help them make right moves. “The Congress MLAS got themselves entangled in ‘pakoda’ politics on Tuesday and lost face. Today, the cane issue has come as a cropper for them,’’ he said.
A Sugarfed spokesperson later said the co-operative sugar mills in Haryana have crushed 274 lakh quintals of sugarcane and produced over 26.80 lakh quintals of sugar so far during the ongoing crushing season.