Behind change of guard in Haryana, our protest, say ‘Dilli Chalo’ leaders

“No doubt there must be some internal issue between the two parties (BJP and JJP), but the ongoing agitation of ‘Dilli Chalo’ farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana and the way Haryana ‘treated’ them (protesters) played a major role in this change of the guard. They killed our farmer, injured several of our fellow men and many are still in jail. Will people forget all this? In fact, it was a loss of face for Manohar Lal Khattar and his BJP-led government. They fired tear-gas shells, rubber pellets, and bullets on the farmers. All this was done just to stop us from going to Delhi to protest. Tuesday’s development is nothing but a political game ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls so that the leaders of these parties can get an easy entry into the villages during campaigning (to seek votes). But people will not fall prey to this ploy of politicians. They will respond with their votes both in Lok Sabha polls and Vidhan Sabha elections,” said Jagjit Singh Dallewal, coordinator of SKM (non-political), while talking to The Indian Express.

Farmer unions under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) have been sitting at Shambhu and Khanauri for the past 29 days after their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on tractor-trolleys to press the Centre to accept their demands, including a law on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by Haryana security forces.

Sirsa added, “Dushyant Chautala’s JJP was just looking for a reason to part ways with its partner as it doesn’t want to face anti-incumbency by sticking with the BJP. Also, the JJP wants to get in the good books of farmers. But farmers remember everything. The JJP had remained with the BJP during the 2020-21 farmer agitation at Delhi borders, and has been keeping quiet for the past one month since the call for ‘Dilli Chalo’ march. They deployed more than 70,000 paramilitary personnel in Haryana, are sending police every second day to the houses of farmers, are spying on our activities, are threatening the protesters with cancelling their passports. They have made life difficult for the farmers. A change at the helm this time won’t be a face-saver.”

Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of KMM, said, “The present kisan aandolan forced them to make these drastic changes in the government including changing the face of the CM. Dushyant Chautala had touched on the farmers’ issue but he never appeared to be completely in our corner. There is no doubt that both the BJP and the JJP are playing politics with farmers and are trying to take political mileage from this (Tuesday’s) development. But farmers shouldn’t forget the shabby treatment meted out to them by this alliance (BJP-JJP). We don’t know what their plans are and their political game ahead, but definitely the present farmers’ agitation had forced them to take this decision (changing of the guard) ahead of the parliamentary elections and the assembly polls in Haryana.”

Tejveer Singh, spokesperson for BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh, said, “The Haryana government sends police to my house at Panjokhra Sahib village in Ambala every second day asking my wife and children about my whereabouts. The reason being – our union members are leading the agitation at Shambhu border. Many of our union members’ families are being harassed. There is complete violation of human rights in Haryana. Amid this chaos, they (BJP) broke ties with the JJP, changed the CM and Cabinet thinking that farmers will forgive them. But they are wrong. We will not forgive them. Today (Tuesday) itself, JJP rebel leader Devender Singh Babli faced protests in Fatehabad from farmers and this will happen in other places also”.