Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns remarks by Haryana minister JP Dalal, demands his sacking

New Delhi, November 30

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The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday condemned Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal’s controversial remarks against farmer leaders who had taken part in the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, and demanded that he be sacked.

The SKM and central trade unions at a meeting in Panchkula in Haryana passed a resolution asking the minister to resign and apologise for his remarks which “are unacceptable from a person holding a constitutional position”.

“SKM strongly condemns the highly unsavoury utterances…. His remarks are aimed at not only degrading the activists of the Kisan movement but even more demeaning the dignity of women as a whole,” the morcha said in a statement.

“Such remarks reflect the moribund feudal culture, not acceptable in a modern civilised society. The video of his speech doing the rounds has evoked sharp reactions across Haryana and the neighbouring states as reflected in widespread angry protest actions for past two days,” it said.

The SKM demanded that the chief minister of Haryana sack Dalal from the Cabinet with immediate effect and direct him to tender an apology to the farming community as well as women of Haryana.

The SKM is an umbrella body under which farmers’ organisations held their protest against the three farm laws at Delhi borders in 2020-21.

A video of Dalal purportedly making the remarks at an event in Bhiwani district on Sunday surfaced on social media on Wednesday.

In the video, Dalal is heard saying in Hindi that “a few people used to sit here…some were facing criminal cases…some committed wrong actions. Some had their wives eloping with others…even their wives would not listen to them and yet they were taking responsibility of the entire farming community.”

When contacted over phone, Dalal had said on Wednesday, “I never say anything against farmers.”