Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal three controversial farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is scheduled to meet him on Thursday in New Delhi.
This will be the Prime Minister’s first meeting with Khattar after the decision of repealing three farm laws. The Union Cabinet had on Wednesday also approved a bill to repeal the three farm laws.
The meeting between the two leaders assume significance as Haryana has been badly hit due to the year-long farmers’ agitation against agriculture laws. Even after PM’s announcement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had decided to continue their agitation and also urged farmers to gather in large numbers at all protest sites on the first anniversary of the agitation against the legislation on November 26.
The protest demonstrations on November 26 on Ghazipur-Singhu border and tractor rally on November 29 will take place as planned by the SKM. The farmers’ leaders have also demanded a discussion over Minimum Support Price (MSP), withdrawal of cases registered against farmers and compensation for deceased farmers' kin.
Recently, Haryana BJP’s coalition partner Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Chautala had also come out in support of the protesting farmers and urged the Central Government to provide financial assistance to the families of the farmers who died during the protest.
Sources said that besides welcoming the Prime Minister’s announcement to repeal the three farm laws, the Chief Minister will also discuss the demands raised by the farmers’ leaders related to compensation and withdrawal of cases in Haryana.
The Chief Minister is also likely to meet senior BJP leaders during his Delhi visit. He will be returning on Thursday as the State cabinet is scheduled to be held at 3 pm.
Notably, the protesting farmers had been camping at three border points of Delhi – Singhu, Tikri (along Haryana), and Ghazipur (along Uttar Pradesh) demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Central Government in September last year.
