Won’t oppose Khattar’s visits for felicitating medallists: Farm leaders

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will attend two gatherings in Sonepat’s Khewra village on September 4 to felicitate Sumit Antil, who won gold medal at Tokyo Paralympics in men’s javelin; and the next day he will visit Khuddan village in Jhajjar to honour wrestler Bajrang Punia for securing bronze in the recently concluded Olympics.

Sportspersons winning medals in international events seems to have come as a ticket for Khattar and other BJP-JJP leaders to enter Haryana villages who were otherwise struggling amid farmers’ protests against Centre’s three farm laws.

Jhajjar deputy commissioner (DC) Shyam Lal Punia and superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Duggal visited Bajrang Punia’s native village Khuddan to inspect the site where the CM will felicitate Punia for winning bronze in Tokyo Olympics.

A couple of days ago, residents of Khuddan village, accompanying Bajrang Punia’s father, had met Khattar and invited him to take part in the felicitation ceremony.

Residents of Khewra and Khuddan villages said they had taken other locals and farmers in confidence to organise the gatherings to felicitate the Olympics and Paralympics champions.

“The functions are being conducted to honour the medallists so no one has any objection to Khattar and other ministers’ presence at these events. Farmers are opposing Centre’s farm laws and have no personal enmity with the CM or other ministers,” said residents of both the villages.

On August 18, Khattar and other party leaders had taken part in a public function to felicitate Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya at his native Nahri village in Sonepat.

Later on the same day, Khattar visited Kurad village in district to felicitate Olympics bronze medallist hockey player Sumit Kumar.

Two farm leaders, pleading anonymity, said they will not oppose the CM’s visit to honour the medallists but after that they will continue to lodge protests against the farm laws.