A lathi charge by Haryana police on alleged farmers protesting violently against the Farm Bills in Karnal has triggered a war of words between the Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Haryana CM ML Khattar.
#WATCH | Haryana: Police baton charged farmers who were protesting at Bastara toll plaza area in Karnal pic.twitter.com/NlYiUnDJMr
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2021
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh reacting to the incident demanded the resignation of Haryana CM ML Khattar and also asked him to issue an apology to the protesting ‘farmers.’ Singh had described the police action as “brazen brutality”.
Calling it a ‘government-sponsored attack’, Singh asked Khattar to compensate the injured farmers. “This is no way to treat our annadaatas (farmers),” remarked the Punjab CM.
“Who is he to demand my resignation?”
Khattar while responding to a media query on Singh’s demand, remarked, “Who is he to demand my resignation? He should be the one to resign as he is responsible for the farmers’ agitation.”
पंजाब के मुख्यमंत्री कौन होते हैं मुझसे त्यागपत्र मांगने वाले, बल्कि उन्हें त्यागपत्र दे देना चाहिए, उन्होंने आंदोलन के लिए पंजाब के लोगों को उकसाया है। pic.twitter.com/cRSAzm5TO6
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) August 30, 2021
“We are taking care of our farmers in Haryana. No farmer from Haryana is sitting at the Tikri or Singhu border,” stated Khattar further.
Khattar also accused Singh of instigating protests. “In Punjab, he (Captain Amarinder Singh) is instigating farmers. In Haryana, (Bhupinder Singh) Hooda saheb and other Congress leaders are instigating them. You think we don’t know?”
While disapproving Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha’s alleged remarks that stirred controversy, Khattar asserted that strictness has to be maintained to ensure law and order. “I am getting calls from people that the farmers need to be dealt with sternly but we are exercising restraint as they are our people,” said Haryana’s Chief Minister.
‘Who is anti-farmer’ questions Khattar, exposes Punjab govt
Continuing the tussle, ML Khattar shared a thread highlighting the work done by his government for the farmers of his state.
Tagging the Punjab CM in his Tweets, Khattar informed that Haryana procures as many as 10 crops at MSP making use of Direct Benefit Transfer. He questioned Singh as to how many crops does the Congress-led Punjab government procures at MSP.
Dear @capt_amarinder ji,
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) August 30, 2021
1. Haryana procures 10 crops at MSP – paddy, wheat, mustard, bajra, gram, moong, maize, ground nut, sun flower, cotton and makes the MSP payment directly into the account of the farmer. How many crops does Punjab buy from the farmer at MSP?
Khattar continued to inform that the Haryana government provides an incentive of Rs 7000/- per acre to every farmer who wants to move away from paddy cultivation and pays an incentive of Rs 5000 per acre to the farmer who adopts direct seeding of rice technology, asking what incentive Punjab provides to its farmers.
“Haryana has been paying the highest MSP in the country for sugarcane to its farmers for the last 7 years,” said Khattar in a Tweet. The Haryana CM further listed the various initiatives undertaken to support horticulture and micro-irrigation schemes. He added that his government pays interest at the rate of 12% to the farmers if the payment is delayed beyond 72 hours from the approval of the I-form, asking if Punjab does the same.
Khattar added that Haryana supports farmers growing horticultural produce by instituting the Bhawantar Bharpayee Yojana to insulate them from price fluctuations below cost. He asked what does Captain Amarinder’s government does to incentivise horticultural farmers.
In a stern reply to Singh’s anti-farmer allegation on Khattar, the Haryana CM ended his thread by asking, “Who is anti-farmer, @capt_amarinder ji? Punjab or Haryana?”
