Bhupinder Hooda asks Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for jobs to bereaved farmers’ families

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 11

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday asked the state’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to provide jobs to members of the families of the farmers who lost lives during, and withdrawal of criminal cases registered against the farmers during the yearlong protests against the now withdrawn three Central farm laws.

 He urged the Centre to initiate talks with farmers soon to provide legal status to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to crops. This has been their other main demand.

“The farmers are simple people and are providers of food. They should be dealt with dignity and grace,” Hooda said.

He said the Haryana government must provide jobs demonstrating a well-fare spirit to the bereaved families of the farmers.

“In fact, the other state governments too must provide jobs and withdraw cases,” Hooda said, adding that cases have been registered against thousands of farmers. He especially named the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

Hooda is considered to be having a wide-ranging influence among the farming community.

He and his MP son, Deepender Singh Hooda, had been instrumental in mobilising the farming community in support of the Congress, especially for the agitation for withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Bill by Prime Narendra Modi’s government in its previous term.

Referring to the farmer’s protest against the farm laws, the former chief minister said he’d never seen such a disciplined and focused approach to an agitation.

“The farmers finally had their way after their successful talks with the Union government which led to annulling of the laws. It is their victory, eventually,” he said.,