‘Lathi-charge wrong’: Haryana JJP MLA vows to quit Sugarfed chairmanship if farmers’ demands not met within 24 hours

Criticising the recent police lathi-charge on protesting farmers in Kurukshetra Tuesday, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLA Ramkaran Kala Wednesday announced that he would resign from the post of chairman of Haryana Sugarfed (Haryana State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd) if the demands of farmers are not met within 24 hours.

Kala made the announcement during a press conference called by Cooperation and Public Health Engineering Minister Dr Banwari Lal at the mini secretariat in Chandigarh. The JJP is a part of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Haryana. The police resorted to the use of water cannon and lathi-charge on the protesting farmers after they blocked National Highway-44 at Shahbad in Kurukshetra district Tuesday demanding minimum support price for the sunflower crop. Farmers said they are facing financial losses in the absence of procurement of sunflower seeds at the MSP as market rates of crop are less this year.

Kala has demanded the procurement of the sunflower crop at the MSP rate and the release of arrested farmers within 24 hours. The JJP legislator also demanded proper treatment of the injured farmers. Kala’s statement has come at a time when the farmers are mobilising to express their resentment at the incident of the police lathi-charge. Senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni is among the arrested farmers. Before his detention Tuesday, Chaduni said: “We decided to block the highway after we did not get any positive response from the government in connection with our demands.”