Sonia bigtalk: her men don’t give a damn

The demands of the party leaders have become synonymous with those of the BKU, including the release of 16 Union activists. Some Congress leaders are supporting the movement directly and can be seen addressing gatherings, making emotive speeches in favour of farmers’ rights. And there are those who are working behind the scene. Jaiprakash Singh, former minister of state for petroleum, oil and natural gas, and the MLA from Barwala constituency, is seen to be propping up the agitation.

With a large section of the BKU leadership behind bars, he is providing the necessary manpower to Ghasi Ram Nain, Haryana president of the BKU. A force to reckon with in the area, he is seen as capable of providing both money and manpower.

Jaiprakash Singh’s confidant Baljinder Kandela walks like a shadow behind Nain. It is his house that is being used for all the strategy sessions. The photo in the room says it all — a smiling Jaiprakash. ‘‘I am not a member of BKU, but because I am a resident of the village (Kandela), I support the agitation,’’ says Kandela. He claims there are hundreds of workers like him who are not members of the BKU but are ‘‘participating in the agitation’’.

The former minister, Singh, denies any direct involvement. ‘‘I have not been to the meetings but I fully support their demands. It is a fraud on the farmers,’’ he says.

In fact, 24 Congress MLAs and MPs had passed a resolution at a general body meeting in Chandigarh supporting the demands of the BKU and asking the government to stick to the agreement it had allegedly signed with the BKU in January this year. They also wanted BKU activists to be released and power bills to be withdrawn. The secretary of the party’s state unit read out the resolution at a gathering of farmers.

State party chief Hooda addressed a BKU meeting where he said the entire situation was of the government’s making. He accused the Om Prakash Chautala government of taking the farmers for a ride by not honouring the ‘agreement’. And he had a suggestion to make in his speech: instead of holding government officials as hostage, they should grab politicians. ‘‘I also said that that the situation had to be resolved amicably without any bloodshed,’’ said Hooda.

Former Congress Chief Minister Bhajan Lal has not visited Kandela so far though he intends to do that soon. He says he has supported the farmers in whatever ‘‘indirect’’ way he could. He described the situation as ‘‘alarming’’. Party MLA Ranjit Surjewala, who is from this area, has already addressed the farmers twice. Sher Singh, Congress MLA from Julana, says he supports the agitation morally. ‘‘It is a political challenge for all of us. If we promise something to the electorate, we should deliver,’’ he argues.

Sher Singh, who got a Congress ticket in 1997 after he retired from the Army, adds: ‘‘I went there because I am a farmer’s son.’’ He refused to comment on the fact that government officials had been taken hostage.

Both Surjewala and Jai Prakash attended the funeral of the two men killed in police firing on the May 19. Reportedly, no BKU leader was present at the time of the cremation.

But all this hyperactivity on the part of the Congress is now causing discomfiture in BKU ranks. The Union had earlier invited all the Congress leaders in the state, including the MLA from Jind, Mange Ram Gupta, to join them. Now it has almost disowned them.

‘‘Congress leaders only come and speak on stage; they should quit the party and then come here,’’ says Nain. He denied that the BKU had issued any invitation to the Congress leaders. ‘‘If they want to come and express condolences for two men who have died in police firing, who are we to say anything,’’ he says.