Farmers’ demand MSP for sunflower seeds: Shahbad JJP MLA quits as Sugarfed chairman

Shahbad Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA Ram Karan Kala on Thursday stepped down as the Haryana Sugarfed chairman after the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP-JJP alliance government did not consider his demand to release nine detained farmers, procure sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP) and compensate protesters injured in Tuesday’s lathicharge.

Coming out in support of farmers who blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway on Tuesday to press for the procurement of sunflower seeds at MSP, Kala had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government on Wednesday and met his party leader and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

Kala had announced the ultimatum during a press conference called by state cooperation and public health engineering minister Dr Banwari Lal in Chandigarh. But by Thursday afternoon he failed to get any response from the government and submitted his resignation to Dushyant Chatuala.

The JJP is a junior alliance partner of the BJP-led government in Haryana.

“I took up the issue with Dushyant Chautala, who assured me to resolve the issue. But I have also decided to resign from the post of Sugarfed (Haryana State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd) chairman if the detained farmers are not released, procurement of sunflower is not started on the MSP and compensation to injured farmers is not provided in 24 hours,” he had said.

The MLA condemned the police lathicharge on farmers to evict them from the highway, saying that they were only protesting for their right. The government could have resolved the issue amicably without resorting to lathicharge.

On being aksed whether the resignation will severe the ties between the BJP and JJP, he said it was upto the party leadership to decide, “But I have done my job in the interest of farmers of my constituency as this incident has given me so much pain which I cannot tolerate.”

“The incident and police action could have been averted and farmers could be persuaded to end the protest,” he added. The MLA claimed that he had taken up the issue of sunflower farmers with the chief minister twice but to no avail. “Even the sunflower seeds were procured by the successive governments at MSP. I don’t know why they are rigid and instigating the farmers of my constituency ahead of elections,” he added.

Earlier, Kala had reached the protesting farmers and told them that he has decided to resign as the government did not accept his demands. Three-time zila parishad member Ram Karan contested his first election on INLD ticket from the reserved Shahbad constituency in 2009 and in 2014 as an Independent, unsuccessfully. In 2019, the fledging JJP fielded him from Shahbad and he defeated sitting BJP MLA Krishan Bedi by a margin of 37,127 votes.

When asked whether he was looking this agitation as an opportunity to garner support from farmers ahead of the assembly elections due next year, he said, “I am not resigning for political motives but I am standing with my people, who had made me an MLA. The government had made me the chairman of Sugarfed and I have returned it back in the respect of my people.”

Deepender extends support to farmers

Congress MP Deepender Hooda on Thursday reached Shahbad and extended support to the protesting farmers. He however, said the Congress will make a list of such officers who are harassing the farmers and action will be taken against them if people of the state give an opportunity to the Congress to form the next government in Haryana.

“We will not allow the proceedings in the Haryana assembly until cases registered against the farmers are withdrawn,” he assured the protesting farmers. He said the police had targeted elderly and young farmers but this government will have to face its consequences. He demanded the government to release farmer leaders and procure sunflower seeds on MSP.

He assured that a law to guarantee MSP will be formed if the Congress is voted to power at the Centre.