Manpreet meets farmers protesting outside his office

A day after BJP candidate and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal was confronted by a farmer leader at Dhulkot village here, the former met the leader today.

Farmers lodging protest outside Manpreet’s office for the past nine days said he gave an assurance to take up their demands with the Centre. Notably, Manpreet had on Monday escaped in his SUV in the middle of talks with the farmer leader.

On Tuesday, he came out of his office and sat amid the protesting farmers, asking them why they were unwilling to see a BJP candidate winning the byelection.

The farmers said they were angered with the BJP over the three controversial farm laws (now repealed), Lakhimpur Kheri incident, DAP shortage, tardy lifting of paddy from grain markets, demand of MSP on all crops, etc.

On this, Manpreet said, “I am a former Finance Minister and can assure you that no government can dare to stop MSP on crops. Further, the issue of paddy lifting has arisen because of the state government and the Centre has already sent money for procurement. There is no problem in Haryana... I am also a farmer and assure you that I will get your demands fulfilled from the Prime Minister.”

Later, Bittu Mallan, assistant secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), Muktsar, said, “We have ended our protest outside the residences of BJP and AAP candidates on the directions of our state unit. Now, we will hold protest marches in villages and grain markets against the BJP and AAP. However, it is yet to be decided if we will keep gheraoing the BJP candidates in villages.”