BSP demands action against Haryana minister over remark on farmers' death

By Amit Kumar
New Delhi [India], February 14 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has demanded that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar take action against state Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal after the latter said that 200 farmers died during the ongoing protests would have died anywhere.
"BSP believes in the Constitution and does not support violence anywhere. There is no place for violence during any kind of protest. The Constitution and democracy allow peaceful protests. But Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar should also speak about his minister who is abusing the death of farmers during agitation. The Chief Minister should also tell the whole country and should take action against his minister," BSP national spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria told ANI.
During a press conference in Haryana's Bhiwani on Saturday, Dalal said that farmers would have died even if they had stayed back home.
"Would not they have died if they were at home? Had they been at their homes, they would have died there also. Out of one to two lakh, do 200 people not die in six months? Someone is dying of a heart attack and someone after falling ill... They died of their own will. I have my deepest sympathies for them," Dalal said on being asked about the death of "200 farmers" during the ongoing stir against farm laws.
Commenting on Khattar's announcement of bringing the law to recover damages to public property from protesters during protests, Bhadoria said: "There is no place for violence in a civilised society."
Khattar, on Saturday, said his government is planning to bring a law under which protesters will have to pay for the damage to public properties during any protest.
Speaking on Kisan Mahapanchayat, the BSP leader said that farmers are demanding the repeal of farm laws for many months but the government continues to ignore this matter.
"For many months, farmers in Delhi were demanding that the agri laws should be repealed so that the lives of the farmers are protected but the government continues to ignore this matter. So, now Farmers are organising mahapanchayats across the country. I think without delaying further, the government should settle this issue with farmers through dialogue," he said.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.