Farmer bills throwing up divisions in the Chautala family over the ‘farmer leader’ legacy

New Delhi: Farmers in Haryana hit the roads on Sunday in protest even as the farmer bills passed by Parliament is throwing up divisions in the Chautala family over the ‘farmer leader’ legacy of former Haryana chief minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader and Devi Lal’s grandson, Abhay Singh Chautala told ET that his elder brother Ajay Chautala was “abusing Devi Lal’s legacy” by not getting his party –– the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) –– to withdraw support from the BJP government in Haryana.

Ajay Chautala heads JJP and his son Dushyant Chautala is the deputy chief minister.

“Ajay and Dushyant had struck a deal with the BJP to support their government and got power and are refusing to go back on it now. They are doing selfish politics of self-gain and not a pro-farmer one. Such politics cannot be the legacy of our grandfather Chaudhary Devi Lal,” Abhay Chautala told ET.

Dushyant has so far refused to quit and said his priority is to get farmers the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops “which both the prime minister and chief minister Manohar Lal have committed to”. However, farmers in Haryana have hit the road and blocked roads in Sirsa, Jind, Hisar and near Chandigarh.

“If the new laws were proper, why are farmers protesting? The government has not spoken to farmer organisations at all. If JJP claims to follow Chaudhary Devi Lal’s legacy, it should immediately withdraw from the alliance with BJP as they now stand fully exposed before farmers,” Abhay Chautala said.

JJP and INLD are planning parallel celebrations of the 107th birth anniversary of Devi Lal on September 25. Discordant voices are emerging inside the JJP over the alliance with at least two of the 10 MLAs –– Ram Karan Kala and Devender Singh Babli –– now saying the new laws have angered farmers.