In growing support for the farmers’ protest among legislators in Haryana, five Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLAs have now come out in support of the agitation seeking early resolution of the stand-off and demanding that the three farm laws enacted recently be withdrawn.
In the wake of JJP’s Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag refusing his appointment as chairman of the Haryana Housing Board last week, four more MLAs — Ram Kumar Gautam (Narnaund), Ishwar Singh (Gulha Cheeka), Amarjeet Dhanda (Julana) and Ram Karan Kala (Shahbad) — have issued statements announcing support for the farmers’ agitation. The leaders also objected to inappropriate comments being made against the farmers and attempts to defame the movement.
Resignation from board
Earlier, Independent Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan had resigned as Chairman of Haryana Livestock Development Board in support of the agitation and withdrawn support from the government.
Downplaying the MLAs’ support to the agitation, JJP spokesperson Deep Kamal Saharan told The Hindu that the party’s national president Ajay Chautala had already demanded that the Centre should give a guarantee for minimum support price in writing and that the cases registered against the farmers during their march to Delhi be withdrawn. “The legislators’ support to the agitation is in line with the party’s stand on the issue. Besides, they have not made any assertions against the party or offered to resign. MLAs from all parties have supported the farmers’ agitation in Haryana,” said Mr. Saharan.
‘Positive outcome’
Senior party leader Digvijay Chautala said the JJP stands firmly with the farmers and was hopeful of a positive outcome from the sixth round of meeting between agitating farmers’ unions and the Central government on December 9. He said all 10 legislators of JJP and the whole party stood in solidarity with the peasantry.
Mr. Digvijay said senior leaders of the JJP along with Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala have been constantly in touch with the Central Ministers and advocating in favour of the farmers. He said that there was no need for MLAs to resign as all legislators are supporting the farmers.
“All 90 MLAs, khaps, 36 biradaris (communities) and all Sarv Samaj in Haryana besides the Union government are with the farmers and all are praying for the speedy solution of all issues,” Mr. Digvijay told journalists in Chandigarh. “For JJP, farmers and khaps are most important. The decisions of khaps are higher than anything else,” he said.
Under pressure
The JJP, with a large support base among the farmers and the rural population in the State, has been under pressure to take a firm stand on the issue. Several farmer unions in Haryana also held a dharna in Sirsa last month demanding that party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala should resign.
Rajendra Sharma, head of the Political Science Department at Maharshi Dayanand University, said that the JJP’s decision to support the BJP in government formation had already hit the party hard with its support base shifting back to the Indian National Lok Dal and the agitation would cause it further harm until “it takes a stand”.
JJP recently cancelled its foundation day rally in Bhiwani on December 9 citing spike in COVID-19 cases, but political analysts construe it as a possible fallout of the farmers’ agitation.
