Haryana: Shahbad JJP MLA quits as Sugarfed chairman to protest farmers’ detention, lathicharge

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

Also read: Farmers demand release of 9 leaders, protest Haryana cops’ action

Coming out in support of farmers who blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway on Tuesday to press for the procurement of sunflower seeds at the minimum support price, 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.

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

“I took up the issue with deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala who has given his assurance to resolve this 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 said.

The MLA condemned the police lathicharge on the farmers to evict them from the highway, saying they were only protesting for their right. “Along with the farmers, I also feel the pain of the police baton. This incident is painful,” he said, adding the government could have resolved this issue amicably without resorting to the lathicharge.