The Hisar city administration yesterday decided to withdraw FIRs registered against over 350 farmers and also agreed to repair their damaged vehicles. The tame submission by the Haryana government has come as a surprise to many and one is left to wonder if Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is just a toothless leader or the reins of the government are in the hands of Dushyant Chautala, the kingmaker in the current Haryana Assembly.
On May 16, violent clashes occurred between the police and the alleged farmers when CM Khattar visited the district to inaugurate a Covid hospital. 5 women constables and 20 other police officers were injured in the clash. Reports suggest that the week-long standoff over FIRs registered against farmers who had turned violent was resolved on May 24, after farmer leaders and officials from the administration met in Hisar for over two hours to resolve the issue.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has termed the Haryana government’s backtracking on the FIRs as a victory of the farmer agitation. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) took to Twitter to share an insensitive video where ‘farmers’ are seen dancing and celebrating in close proximity while the second wave of the Covid pandemic continues to wreak havoc around.
Celebrations going on in Faridpur village of Hisar after Hisar administration agreed to repeal all the FIR against farmers & repair damaged vehicles.#FarmerProtest pic.twitter.com/9yzf64oJaR
— BKU EKTA UGRAHAN (@Bkuektaugrahan) May 24, 2021
Reported by TFI, thousands of alleged farmers recently gathered at Haryana’s Karnal and Panipat toll plazas — planning to advance towards Delhi to conduct a mass protest to mark the six-month anniversary of the unruly protests against the ‘revolutionary’ farm laws introduced by the central government.
While the protestors continued to assemble, the Haryana government did nothing to stop the mobilisation and observed the entire chain of events like a mute spectator.
It is imperative to note that BJP is currently ruling in Haryana with the support of JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and despite the latter’s core vote bank of ‘Jats’ forcing him to break the coalition and come out in full support of Farm laws against the government, Chautala is sitting in the state cabinet and pulling the strings from behind.
It was under Chautala’s influence that CM Khattar announced the politically divisive decision to implement a 75 per cent quota for locals in non-public corporations from May 1. The move engineered by Chautala was aimed to placate the ‘Jat’ vote bank that had seemingly been miffed at him for the farm laws and his decision to stay in coalition with the BJP.
The silence of CM Khattar on the recent development in the state has been deafening. It does not appear that a BJP leader is ruling the state. The party high command needs to pull Khattar and make him aware that he needs to assert his authority or Dushayant Chutala will steamroll him.
