Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has strongly defended the new new farm laws, saying a handful of people are opposing due to "political reasons". Speaking at a public gathering in Haryana’s Narnaul on Sunday, he said that if someone tries to do away with Minimum Support Price (MSP) then he will quit politics.
“MSP will always be there. If someone tries to abolish it, Manohar Lal Khattar will leave politics. MSP will not end,” he said. “MSP was there in the past, it is present now and it will remain in the future as well,” the CM added.
Khattar noted that everyone has the right to put forward his views in a democratic set and that there is no place for putting pressure by blocking roads.
He reiterated that the Centre is committed to doubling the farmers' income by 2022, adding that this will be done in many stages and farm reforms is one of them.
READ MORE: Farmers start day-long 'relay' hunger strike as govt presses for next round of talks
“But a handful of people, who are politically motivated, I won't call them as representatives of farmers, are opposing these laws due to political reasons,” he said.
The BJP leader said that there are ways to protest, it can be on the floor of the assembly, through the media, by going amongst people and holding big or small meetings in public, “but to put pressure by gathering 50,000, 70,000 people and blocking roads…democracy is not for such things”.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country protesting for the past over three weeks near various border points of the national capital, demanding the repeal of the farm laws, which the ruling party has claimed are for farmers’ benefit.
READ MORE: 'With folded hands...' PM Modi makes fervent appeal to farmers over farm laws; blasts opposition