Step up security, Amit Shah tells Haryana

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala met Union Home Minister Amit Shah today and apprised him of the law and order situation in the state in the context of the farmers’ protest against the three farm laws and upcoming Republic Day.

After the meeting, Khattar said smooth conduct of Republic Day celebrations, which was a national festival, was the top priority and the issue figured in the meeting with Shah.

Sources said Shah asked Khattar and Dushyant to step up security and vigil and take no chances. “Unfortunately, one of the epicentres of the agitation is Haryana and it borders Delhi,” Khattar said.

He said the Supreme Court had taken up the farm laws for consideration and had constituted a committee to seek the views of farmers.

He said that in the light of the apex court stepping in, farmers should return to their homes. “Now, our farmer brothers should go back home,” he said.

Responding to a specific question, he said withdrawal of police cases registered during the farmers’ protest was in the police domain. “The government has no role in it. It is for the police to investigate and take a call on the matter,” he said.

In reply to another question, he said there was political stability in Haryana. There was no basis in media speculations, he added, implying that the BJP-JJP government in the state was stable.

He said this in reference to speculations that some JJP MlAs were very unhappy with the farm laws, casting doubts over the longevity of the coalition government.

State BJP chief Om Prakash Dhankar, state JJP president Nishan Singh and state Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar also attended the meeting, which lasted about an hour and 45 minutes.

Earlier, Dushyant held a meeting with his party MLAs, lasting more than two and a half hours, and sought their views on measures that could improve farming prospects in the state.

Harnessing of technology in farming, thrust on drip irrigation than on open canal system, crop diversification and marketing of agricultural produce were among the suggestions that were put forth by the JJP MLAs. Efforts to make farmers aware of the government’s welfare schemes were also among the suggestions.

JJP MLA Davinder Babli said the legislators were of the view that the three laws had dented the image of the JJP and Haryana Government. They expressed the view that opposition parties had spread canards against the recent farm laws and were stoking passions among the farmers.

They were of the view that the issue of farm laws, farmers’ protest and related matters were now under the consideration of the Supreme Court. They expressed the hope that the imbroglio would end soon following the Supreme Court’s intervention.