The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana, angered by the continuing “ambush” over its events to protest against farmers, plans to counter false storytelling of such incidents by organizing tricolor yatras across the state.
By invoking nationalism, the party hopes to take back the farmers it claims have been misled by the Congress. The tricolor yatra started from Gharaunda block of Karnal, where angry farmers ransacked Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s mahapanchayat site about six months ago. The attack had triggered a major confrontation between the BJP and the farmers and the CM termed it a conspiracy by the opposition Congress.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting in Delhi’s borders and some other parts of the country since late last year, demanding the repeal of three agriculture laws brought in by the Center that they fear eroded the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. will be abolished and abandoned. Small and marginal producers are at the mercy of large corporations.
On Friday, the tricolor rally was led by state BJP president OP Dhankhar. “There is a flood of nationalist sentiments. This rally, which attracts a large number of people, clearly states that national pride cannot be suppressed by false narratives and our people are with our party, which has supported nationalism in the country.
Other senior party leaders including MPs and MLAs attended the rally.
Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia said, “The rally has a message for a large number of people who thought that they can eliminate us politically.”
Sources said that there were two motives behind the rally. “The party cadre was feeling a bit pressured by the disruptions caused by a section of farmers and hence needed to be reactivated. Secondly, by reaching the rally in large numbers, we will try to signal that we will not be afraid of threats from a small group of farmers who have the support of opposition parties.”
The state unit of the BJP is under pressure due to continuous disruption of its programs by the protesting farmers. Party sources said such attacks were giving rise to a perception that farmers were moving away from the BJP. For the party, however, the continued support of the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) on agricultural laws has given it much-needed respite on the contentious issue.
Unlike neighboring Punjab, where it is facing stiff opposition, the BJP’s position in Haryana is comparatively better and the party claims to have the support of farmers. A party leader said, “They may be upset but they have started feeling that agricultural laws are for their own benefit and the Congress is trying to make political use of them.”
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