Hours after hundreds of protesting farmers ransacked the venue of ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ programme leading to cancellation of the event in Karnal district, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday held Congress and left parties responsible for the incident.

At the same time, the Chief Minister blamed Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni for instigating the farmers for the incident.

The Chief Minister was addressing a press conference here on Sunday evening after being forced to cancel the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in his home district Karnal and return to Chandigarh.

Manohar Lal was scheduled to address people to highlight the benefits of the Centre’s three agriculture laws at Kaimla village in Karnal. But before the beginning of the event, hundreds of farmers entered the venue and damaged the stage besides breaking chairs, tables and flower pots at the venue.

“People had also gathered at the helipad. Keeping in mind the law and order situation, we decided to cancel the programme,” the Chief Minister said.

 “If anybody is involved in this agitation, it is the Congress and Communists,” he claimed while adding that the opposition parties are misleading the farmers. The people vandalising the venue cannot be farmers and the Congress is defaming the farming community with such action, he said.

Strongly condemning the incident, Manohar Lal said, “The nation has a very strong democratic setup and this allows everyone to express his or her view. It is inappropriate and wrong to obstruct anyone who wants to speak. We have never stopped anyone to express their views.”When asked whether the vandalization at the venue is an intelligence failure, he denied the same saying that some farmer leaders who had assured not to disrupt the event backtracked from their promise.

The Chief Minister further held BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni responsible for instigating violence in Karnal. There are videos of his messages circulating for the last few days instigating people, he added. On the ongoing farmers’ protest against three central laws, the Chief Minister reiterated that the laws are in favour of farmers and they should not be rigid over their demand of withdrawal of these laws.

I don’t think the government would withdraw these farm laws. The farmers should atleast give one year and observe whether they are benefited from these legislation or not. During the launching of GST also, people had earlier resisted the system but now traders are happy with its implementation, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Central Government is already holding talks with the farmers and we are hopeful of a positive outcome.

Manohar Lal further said that the Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the welfare of the farmers and there should be no doubt on the government’s intention. On the upcoming protest of Congress on January 15 and farmers on January 26 against the farm laws, Manohar Lal said that the issue should not be politicized.

When asked about the demand of opposition parties to give compensation to the families of deceased farmers, he said that the opposition and some farmer leaders should be held responsible for this situation.

“The ones who have instigated, they should not instigate. This agitation should end here so that the poor farmers who are sitting in the cold return to their homes.

People are losing their lives and if I have to blame someone, I will blame those who are instigating... the people who are using wrong language and not allowing this matter to be resolved, he added.

Responding to a question about Haryana Government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, the Chief Minister said that the vaccine will be made available free of cost to those who cannot afford it.

He further hinted that a subsidy model will prove effective in this regard.