New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday slammed the BJP government in Haryana after police baton charged protesting sunflower farmers in Kurukshetra, saying that they were only demanding the MSP for their crops but were beaten.
In a tweet on its official Twitter handle, the party said, “BJP government in Haryana has got baton charged at farmers. Farmers were demanding their right and their fair price but were beaten with sticks. Narendra Modi are you watching?”
It also attached a video of the police baton charge on the farmers.
Earlier in the day, Haryana farmers, protesting at the National Highway 44 near Kurukshetra’s Shahbad over the government not buying their sunflower seeds on the minimum support price (MSP), were baton-charged by police to clear the area.
The police also used water cannon to disperse the crowd.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Sirjewala also took a swipe at the state’s Manohar Lal Khattar BJP government, saying: “Conspiracies won’t be tolerated now. This dictatorial rule of Modi and Khattar should know that we are standing against this system of loot and will fight. Kurukshetra’s Shahbad baton charge.”
He too shared the video of the police action on the protesting farmers.
The protest was led by Haryana BKU-Chaduni chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni.
The BJP-led state government had decided to stop the procurement of sunflower seed on the MSP and to procure it under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana at the rate of Rs 1,000 per quintal.
The farmers have been saying that they are selling the produce at Rs 4,000 per quintal to private buyers against the MSP of Rs 6,400.
(IANS)
