Jind, June 2
The BKU today announced two pre-conditions for taking part in the June 4 meeting of the four-member committee constituted by the Haryana Government for addressing the issues raised by the farmers.
Talking to TNS at Kandela, Mr Ghasiram Nain, chief of the BKU in Haryana, said the union would take part in the meeting if the state government released the BKU’s executive members lodged in jails. “BKU leaders, including Mr Ramphal Kandela, Mr Daryao Singh,
Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Nafe Singh and others must be released prior to the meeting”, Mr Nain said.
He said the government must also formally invite the BKU for taking part in the parleys. “We never had talks with the government unless we have been invited”, Mr Nain said.
Mr Nain also clarified that the BKU did not reject the committee set up by the state government under Finance Minister Sampat Singh. “What we found objectionable was Mr Chautala’s attempt to undermine the BKU and give prominence to Mr Prem Singh and Mr Prithwi Singh as representatives of farmers”, Mr Nain said. He said there were a number of organisations in the state which claim to represent the farmers. “But the talks must take place with us if the state government wants the ongoing agitation to be called off”, Mr Nain said.
The pre-conditions set by the BKU for participating in the meeting on Tuesday, it is believed, are unlikely to be met by the state government. Talking to the TNS today, Mr K.K. Rao, Superintendent of Police, said the police did not try to clear the blockade at Kandela on Jind-Kaithal road as an alternative route was available through Safidon.
However, clearing the Jind-Hansi road was crucial for the movement of Army vehicles, Mr Rao said, claiming that an Army convoy with tanks and armoured cars had to get across the barriers set up by the villagers near Gulkani village on the Jind-Hansi road. “We will try to clear the Jind-Hansi road at the earliest,” Mr Rao said, even as he admitted that any such attempt could lead to more bloodshed.
The other method, being contemplated by the police, is to arrest BKU leaders like Mr Nain and Bajinder Singh, chief of BKU’s Hisar unit, hoping that the agitation would fizzle out in the absence of leaders .
“There are 39 proclaimed offenders from the BKU who are yet to be arrested by the police”, Mr Rao said, adding that most of them were at Kandela village. Since Kandela has been turned into a fortress by the BKU, the police is unable to arrest them as it could lead to violence.
