In a 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out in support of the agitation, seeking early resolution of the stand-off and demanding that the three farm laws be withdrawn.
In the wake of JJP’s Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag refusing his appointment as chairman of 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 separate statements announcing support for the farmers’ agitation. The leaders also objected to inappropriate comments being made against the farmers and the attempts to defame the movement.
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 resign.
Downplaying the MLAs support to the agitation, JJP spokesperson Deep Kamal Saharan told The Hindu that party’s national president Ajay Chautala had already demanded that the Centre give a guarantee for MSP in writing and the cases registered the farmers during their march to Delhi be withdrawn.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. The MLAs from all parties have supported the farmers agitation in Haryana,” said Mr. Saharan.
Earlier, Independent Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan had resigned as Chairman of Haryana Livestock Development Board in support of the agitation and withdrawn support to the government.
