Farmers protest: Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal, one of the farmer organisations participating in the protest, has made a statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could raise questions on the intention of their protest.
A video has surfaced in which Jagjit Singh Dallewal is saying that the farmers' protest has been launched to bring the graph of PM Modi's popularity down after Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratishtha'.
The video surfaced a few days ago when farmers were about to launch their protest.
"PM Modi's graph has gone too high after Ram Mandir... there is very little time... we need to bring down his graph...," Jagjit Singh Dallewal said.
Haryana CM questions method of farmers' protest
Reacting to Dallewal's comment, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "This is a political statement. Will the people stop supporting PM Modi if such a huge protest is organised? A message is getting circulated in the public that this is not the right way to protest..."
Khattar criticised the "method" adopted by farmers to press their demands, saying they are trying to march to Delhi like an army on the offensive. He said the farmers are moving with tractor-trolleys, earth-movers and ration for a year -- just like an army.
"We have an objection to their method," Khattar said on the farmers' call for going to Delhi.
"We do not have any objection to them going to Delhi. There are trains, buses and their own vehicles. But a tractor is not a mode of transport. It is an agricultural equipment," he added.
Khattar also referred to the farmers' previous agitation against the now-repealed farm laws and said how they camped at Tikri and Singhu borders for a year and causes hardships to many people.
"Even today, there are several videos of people appealing that they (farmers) should be stopped as their businesses will suffer," said Khattar, responding to a question on the farmers' call for 'Dilli Chalo'.
Speaking to India TV, senior Journalist and political analyst Harsh Vardhan Tripathi said, "All the demands of the farmers are baseless.. Dallewal's comment shows that farmers movement is a conspiracy."
With inputs from PTI
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