Khattar accuses political parties of ‘sponsoring’ farmers’ stir; Capt Amarinder hits back

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 28

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday alleged that some political parties and organisations were “sponsoring” the farmers’ stir against the Centre’s farm laws.

He also hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, claiming that despite wanting to talk to him over the issue, he did not respond even when telephone calls to his office were made for three days.

Punjab CM though slammed his Haryana counterpart over the allegation of instigating farmers and said he won’t talk to Khattar unless he apologised for inflicting brutality on Punjab farmers.

Claiming a “conspiracy”, Khattar earlier on Saturday told reporters in Gurugram that officials in the Punjab Chief Minister's Office were “giving directions” to the protesting farmers from Punjab.

He said the stir had been build up by farmers from Punjab and some political parties and organisations were “sponsoring” it. Khattar claimed that there were some "unwanted elements" among the protesters.

Khattar also claimed that Haryana farmers had not participated in the stir and said:  “For this, I want to thank Haryana farmers.”

Khattar also said that his office had tried to speak to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh before the farmers’ march.

“My office told me that they tried to contact him over the telephone on six to seven occasions and every time his staff used to say we will soon get back and then they used to give the plea that the CM was busy in a meeting and so on,” he said.        

Captain Amarinder Singh trashed the claims made by Khattar, saying: “Khattar is lying that he tried calling me earlier and I did not respond.”

“But now, after what he has done to my farmers, I will not speak to him even if he calls me 10 times. Unless he apologises and admits that he did wrong with Punjab’s farmers, I will not forgive him,” Amarinder added.

An angry Punjab CM also slammed Khattar for making baseless allegations that he was instigating the farmers and provoking them to agitate.

“I am a nationalist to the core, I run a border state and will never do anything to create law and order problem of any kind,” he asserted.

“I will not take this nonsense from Khattar. Don’t I have better things to do than to incite farmers?” he said 

Earlier, Khattar alleged that some people were grinding their own political axe, which needed to be condemned.

Alleging a conspiracy, he said “cardholders” (officials) in the Punjab CM's office had been directing protesters.

Amarinder, meanwhile, said: “Sometimes they say it’s Khalistanis who’re managing the protests and sometimes they accuse me of doing it…let them make up their minds.”

Punjab CM categorically declared that no political party was involved in the farm protests, which were a “spontaneous reaction of the farmers who are fighting for their future”. (With inputs from PTI)

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