Five Independent MLAs of Haryana and Jannayak Janta Party’s Barwala legislator Jogi Ram Sihag held an informal meeting at Panchkula on Tuesday, demanding that the Centre should find an immediate solution to the ongoing farmers’ agitation.
Besides Mr. Sihag, Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daultabad, Pundri MLA Randhir Singh Gollen, Prithla MLA Nayan Pal Rawat, Nilokheri MLA Dharam Pal Gonder and Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan attended the meeting.
Playing down the meeting’s significance, Mr. Sangwan said they met for lunch at Mr. Gollen’s invitation but added that the government should immediately find a solution to the imbroglio. The Dadri MLA had earlier this month resig-ned as chairman of Haryana Livestock Development Boa-rd and withdrawn support to the BJP-JJP coalition government.
The MLAs, speaking to a Hindi news channel, said the ongoing farmers’ stir was one of the longest ever and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should realise that it was gaining momentum. The legislators stressed that the government should speak to the farmers and address their grievances.
Mr. Sihag, who refused to accept his appointment as chairman of Haryana Housing Board, told the news channel that he always stands with the farmers, but hastened to add that it did not mean that they could make “unjustified” demands. He said that the stand-off could be ended easily with the government agreeing to the farmers’ demands.
In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 40 MLAs and the JJP has a strength of 10. Of the seven Independent MLAs, five support the government.
