Farmers, Cong protest demanding Haryana minister’s dismissal
KARNAL/ROHTAK/AMBALA: Upset over Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal’s controversial statement over farmers’ death at Delhi borders, farmers held protests against him.
Dalal’s statement has evoked severe criticism from farmer union leaders and opposition parties in Bhiwani, Hisar, Dadri, Sirsa and other parts of the state and they have demanded immediate removal of Dalal from the Haryana cabinet. On Saturday, Dalal had said that the farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing protests would have died even if they had stayed back in their fields.
Hundreds of farmers gathered in Karnal on Sunday and burnt an effigy of the minister for “insulting the farmers who have died during the ongoing agitation against the three contentious farm laws at Delhi borders”.
The farmers protesting under the banner of Kisan Majdur Ekta Union also burnt an effigy of Dalal and condemned his statement at Committee Chowk in Karnal. His effigies were also burnt by protesting farmers in
Bhiwani’s Siwani and two dozen villages in Loharu constituency.
“The minister has insulted the entire farming community by making such shameful comments,” said the protesting farmers. They threatened to not allow him to enter any village in Karnal. Dalal Dayanand Punia, secretary of Haryana Kisan Sabha, said they will ban Dalal’s entry in the villages in Loharu constituency.
The Congress demanded Dalal’s dismissal from the state cabinet “for making fun of farmers’ deaths”. In Ambala, Congress workers gathered in large numbers near INCO Chowk on Model Town Road and burnt an effigy of the minister. Party cadre, led by Haryana Congress treasurer Rohit Jain, raised slogans against Dalal, demanded his resignation from the Haryana government.