Conspiracy to destabilise govt in garb of farmers’ protests: Khattar
According to Khattar, people of Haryana are happy that the state government didn’t allow protesters to step on the state’s territory.
Union minister and former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said there is a conspiracy to destabilise the government in the garb of farmers’ protest. Referring to the ongoing farmers’ agitation at the Shambhu border, he defended the government’s decision regarding stopping their march towards New Delhi, based on the past experience of the 2020-21 agitation.
Addressing a gathering in Ambala City in favour of BJP candidate and two-time MLA from the seat Aseem Goel, he said, “I’m aware that this is a major issue. This has impacted businesses and the local public. We had made plans to open the border, but the people sitting on the other side are not farmers. In the garb of farmers, these people want to damage the system and destabilise the chosen government. I don’t want to go into depth, you are well aware.”
“Ambala is facing the brunt but the people of Haryana are happy that we did not allow such people to step on our territory,” he claimed.
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The Karnal MP said that his government was moving forward (to open the border), but the matter reached the Punjab and Haryana high court, which is now before the Supreme Court that has formed a committee to find a solution after consulting all the stakeholders.
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“The court won’t open the border without any condition because there is a reason behind it. They created nuisance last time (2020-21). Do you think a farmer would climb the Red Fort? This is an insult to the nation that would not be tolerated,” he added.
This comes a day after former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda vowed to make efforts to open the Shambhu border for farmers in case Congress forms government in Haryana.
The border closure was also one of the key issues during the Lok Sabha elections, when traders took a firm stand against the state government for their decision to take up the matter before Supreme Court.
Khattar’s cabinet colleague and party’s state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, former minister Venod Sharma and other party leaders were present. Sharma shared the stage with Goel, once arch rivals, after several years. Sharma, who is supremo of Haryana Jan Chetna Party (HJCP), had earlier this month announced to support the party in the Haryana assembly elections.
His wife and Ambala mayor Shakti Rani Sharma is contesting as a BJP candidate from Kalka seat of neighbouring Panchkula.