Congress condemns police action against protesting farmers on Haryana border

The party alleged that the Haryana government was brutalising peaceful farmers who merely want to proceed to Delhi to remind the government of its promise

Protesting farmers stand facing the police barricade near Shambhu border that divides northern Punjab and Haryana, almost 200 kilometers from New Delhi, on February 16, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP

Condemning the police action on the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border, the Congress on February 16 urged the Narendra Modi government to fulfil its promises about providing legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) on crops and other demands.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who heads the All India Kisan Congress, hit out at the at the Haryana government and alleged that Haryana police was creating impediments and committed brutality on peaceful farmers who want to proceed to Delhi to remind the Union government of its promise.

Mr. Khaira said the government should withdraw all criminal cases against the farmers booked during the last agitation two years ago and adequate compensation be paid to families of all those 700 farmers who lost their lives during the year-long agitation at Delhi’s borders.

“They [the authorities] have created a border within our own country. This is highly condemnable. We condemn the use of force against farmers who are protesting for their rightful demands,” he said.

The Congress MLA from Punjab showed pictures of injured farmers in Shambhu border due to tear gas shells and rubber bullets lobbed at them by Haryana police and claimed over 100 people have been injured.

“Farmers cannot be called secessionists given that they die for the country and their sons are defending the country’s borders,” he asserted.

“Should no one held accountable for the brutality by police against farmers,” Mr. Khaira asked while reasserting the demand that “MSP should be given legal right and provide loan waiver to them”.

The Congress leader said M.S. Swaminathan has been given Bharat Ratna by the government but none of the recommendations made by him in his report have been accepted. The Kisan Congress Chairman reiterated the commitment of his party that legal guarantee for the MSP will be one of its important issues during the General Election and will be implemented once the government is formed at the Centre.