Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on June 30 launched a scathing attack on farmers' protests and said that the word 'Kisaan' (farmer) has been tarnished due to a few unfortunate incidents.
“The word “Kisaan” is pure and everyone holds them in high regard. Due to a few unfortunate incidents the word has become tarnished. Dignity of sisters and daughters is taken away, murders are happening, roads being blocked. I condemn the incidents that are undemocratic,” Khattar said.
The word “Kisaan” is pure & everyone holds them in high regard. Due to a few unfortunate incidents the word has become tarnished. Dignity of sisters & daughters is taken away, murders are happening, roads being blocked. I condemn the incidents that are undemocratic: Haryana CM pic.twitter.com/jKYQV7mk0t— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2021
The chief minister said his government had asked the protesting farmers to give it in writing that their protest would be non-violent. “If violence takes place then FIRs will be registered and they too will receive court notices,” he said.
Khattar’s comments came after a scuffle broke out between agitating farmers and several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on June 30 afternoon.
Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait in a statement accused some people of hurling abuses, raising BJP flags and pelting stones at protesters.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been camping at several borders of Delhi, including Ghazipur, protesting against the three farm laws – the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
So far eleven rounds of talks between farmer representatives and the Centre have failed to end the deadlock.
Earlier too, the Haryana chief minister had hinted at a crackdown on elements indulging in inappropriate incidents, especially against women at the ongoing farmers’ protest. He was referring to the alleged gang rape of a 26-year-old woman from West Bengal, who was participating in the farmers’ protest at the Tikri border. The woman died of COVID-19 on April 30, as per reports.
