6 Haryana MLAs huddle up over agriculture laws; SC to hear plea for removal of farmers

Six MLAs including four Independents and two from Dushyant Chautala's JJP held a meeting over the farmers' issue on Tuesday and may withdraw their support to the ML Khattar-led Haryana government if the deadlock between the Centre and the protesting farmers' does not end, sources said. Two of the MLAs, Somvir Sangwan and Jogiram Sehag, have already withdrawn support to the government. Sources said that later the four Independent MLAs met Haryana CM ML Khattar to pass on the message for resolving farmers' issue at the earliest.

The MLAs who met Khattar were Nayan Pal Rawat, Randhir Singh Gollen, Rakesh Daultabad and Dharam Pal Gonder. The meeting by Independent MLAs over farmers' issue assumes significance as a majority of the ruling BJP's ally JJP have already openly come out in support of the farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws.

'A solution to the issue should be found'

After they met Khattar, Independent legislator from Prithla, Nayan Pal Rawat told PTI that "we took up the issue with the Chief Minister and requested him that many days have passed (since farmers have been on a protest near Delhi's borders) and a solution to the issue should be found at the earliest."

"His reply was that the top leadership of the NDA government too wants an early resolution to the issue and has already agreed to many demands of the farmers," he said. Opining on farmers' issue, Rawat said, "If you are to ask me, I am in favour of these laws because I believe Prime Minister Modi Ji and Khattar Ji will never take any step or frame any such law which is against the interests of people including farmers."

"I think it is a conspiracy of opposition parties that farmers are being misled. But now the thing is that the solution to the issue has to be found and we were told that the government is already doing best it can," said Rawat.

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SC to hear plea seeking removal of farmers from Delhi borders

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear a plea seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the farmers who are protesting at several border points of Delhi against three new farm laws. As per Supreme Court website a Bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, justice A S Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian will hear the plea filed by law student Rishabh Sharma who says that commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.

The farmers are protesting against the recently enacted Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

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(With agency inputs)