At INLD event, regional outfits: ‘To be heard at Centre, vote for us in states’

While Akali Dal was represented by five-time former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah and KC Tyagi attended on behalf of NC, and JD(U) respectively. Former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala, who had organised the event, had also invited former Prime Minister HD Devegowda and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhray, who could not attend it due to personal reasons.

Addressing the gathering, Birender Singh said Chaudhary Devi Lal had taught farmers to struggle for their rights. “He launched Nyay Yudh, which remained successful. Today, again the fight is for farmers’ rights. A moment will come, an angel will come and such circumstances will emerge that farmers will get united and follow the right man. Then, they shall succeed,” the former Union minister said.

The senior BJP leader said said though it has been claimed that hundreds became millionaires and billionaires in the past some years, there was no “crorepati” among farmers, who produced more foodgrain during the time of coronavirus. “A few people rule, but farmers do not have anything in their hands. A day will come when a new democratic environment will emerge when 80-85 per cent people will follow an the prajatantrik vyavastha (democratic set up),” said Birender Singh.

Badal urged people to strengthen regional outfits for the resolution of their issues. “Regional parties’ governments should be formed in states. People who have never seen villages, people who have never felt pain of villagers and farmers…how can they solve your problems. That is why, you can not gain anything till you strengthen regional political parties,” the Akali stalwart said.

Badal urged the leaders who attended the event to bring all regional parties in the country together. “Several senior leaders are sitting on this stage. I request all of them to join all regional parties across the country. Till the time, you all join hands, you would not get anything,” he added.

He called former deputy PM Devi Lal an institution, who sacrificed the post of the PM in the first non-Congress government and recommended VP Singh’s name.

He also ridiculed the Congress in Punjab, saying four candidates for the CM were changed by the party high command in the past a few days, in an apparent reference to the discussions for the selection of a successor to Amarinder Singh who resigned from the post.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah slammed the Centre over the three farm laws. He said the Union government is in the “grip of industrialists and that is why they want to sacrifice farmers”.
“Today, we are seeing that farmers are dying on roads,” he said, adding that the day will come when the government will have to bow down before the protesting farmers.

OP Chautala too supported the ongoing farmers’ stir. “Four farmer agitations in the past had remained successful. This ongoing agitation will also succeed,” he said.

He claimed following the Ellenabad byelection, the present BJP-JJP coalition government in the state will “fall” and there will be a “mid-term poll”.

INLD’s lone MLA Abhay Singh Chautala had resigned from the Ellenabad seat to protest three farm laws.

He urged people to strengthen the INLD while promising employment to the youth.

In recent weeks, Chautala has been meeting several like-minded political leaders in a bid to forge a third front. In recent weeks, Chautala has been meeting several like-minded political leaders in a bid to forge a third front.

Earlier this month, he had claimed that people of the country were upset with the BJP government and asserted that a third front will soon be formed at the national level.