Will consider sympathetically: Khattar on farmers' demand of withdrawal of police cases
CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Tuesday said the state government will consider "sympathetically" the farmers' demand for the withdrawal of police cases registered against them during the course of their year-long agitation against farm laws.
"It is right that it is the domain of states (to withdraw cases)," Khattar said, responding to a query on Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar statement that cancelling cases against farmers is in state governments' jurisdiction.
Khattar said farmers have not yet ended their agitation as they are still protesting in support of their other demands after farm laws have been repealed.
"When this issue (farmers' agitation) reaches finality, we will do what our government has to do on its part. However, as they have yet not ended their stir, these things (withdrawal of cases) are the final step. We will consider all these things sympathetically," Khattar told reporters here on the sidelines of an event.
He said the farmers' main demand was repeal of farm laws which has been met by the Central government. Khattar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said a committee will be formed to make the Minimum Support Price system more effective and transparent.
The committee will have representatives of the Central government, state governments, farmers, agricultural scientists and agri economists.
State BJP chief Om Prakash Dhankar also indicated the state government will move in a positive manner with respect to the demand of farmers of withdrawing cases.
"As the state BJP chief, I am saying all these things will be considered," Dhankar said when asked if cases lodged against farmers would be dropped.
The parliament on Monday passed The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 to annul the three farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, with its passage in the Rajya Sabha shortly after the Lok Sabha did it. The Lower House had passed the repeal bill within minutes of its introduction.
Shortly after the repeal of three central farm laws by parliament, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday demanded the dropping of all cases lodged against farmers during the over year-long agitation against the legislations.
Claiming registration of more than 48,000 cases against farmers during the year-long anti farm law agitation by them, Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) president Gurnam Singh Chaduni also demanded the withdrawal of cases against farmers.
"Around 48,000 cases were registered in Haryana against the farmers and they should be taken back," Chaduni had demanded. "Over 700 farmers lost their lives. The next of their kin too should be given compensation," he added.
Asked about their future course of action after the repeal of farm laws, Chaduni had said, "We want to say that if the government wants to resolve all our issues with a clear intent, it should also decide on other demands including one for giving a legal guarantee on MSP so that farmers can return to their homes."