Chhavi Bhatia
New Delhi—Trouble is brewing for the ruling coalition government in Haryana as farmers’ protest against the controversial farm bills continue to intensify. The Jannayak Janata Party(JJP) that propped the Bharatiya Janata Party to majority, is under immense pressure from its MLAs to withdraw its support while legislators in both parties are openly condemning the laws. The wedge is likely to deepen after Thursday’s talks between the farmers and the Centre remained inconclusive.
The call to end the partnership has strengthened after November 26 when the Manohar Lak Khattar-led government unleashed brute police force on farmers– among the key support group of the JJP—peacefully marching towards Delhi. The government has been widely criticised for tear gassing, assaulting and using water cannons on the farmers.
Alarm bells were first rung for Khattar when Independent MLA from Charkhi Dadri Sombir Singh Sangwan withdrew his support from “anti-farmer” government. He also put in his papers as the chairman of the Haryana Livestock Development Board. This has only exerted more pressure on JJP, founded by Ajay Chautala, grandson of former deputy Prime Minsiter Devi Lal, a well-respected leader in Haryana and hailed as the ‘messiah of farmers’.
Its MLAs have been vocal about the mistreatment of the Khattar government towards the peaceful farmers. JJP MLA Jogi Ram Sihag who has been staunchly opposing the three bills from the very beginning, censured the government on browbeating the protesting farmers with police force and demanded registration of criminal cases against police and civil officers who had put barricades to stop farmers from going ahead to Delhi. He also refused to accept the post of chairman, Haryana Housing Board till the bills were amended. “The Haryana government behaved as if the farmers were terrorists. Barricading and digging up trenches…are they criminals? They feed the country. This atrocity is shameful and an act of injustice,” said the MLA from Barwala constituency.
While Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala has remained stoic over the entire matter, causing resentment among farmers in the state, his firebrand younger brother and JJP Youth Wing president Digvijay Chautala has been extensively critical of the November 26 clash. “Pained” at how the farmers were released, he has sought immediate withdrawal of criminal cases registered by the state government against farmers. “They have every right to protest peacefully,” said Digvijay.
The Chautalas hold considerable sway on the Jat votebank that form 28 per cent of the electorate. A lot of these votes come from rural areas dominated by Jat farmers. The JJP has always claimed to be champions of farmers, drawing from the legacy of Devi Lal who holds cult-like respect among Jats, specially the farmer.
