In a controversial remark regarding farmers’ deaths at protest sites outside the national capital, Haryana agriculture minister J P Dalal on Saturday said that the farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing protests would have died even if they had stayed back in their fields.
Responding to a reporter’s query on the death of “200 farmers”, Dalal said, “Had they been at their homes, they would have died there also.”
Dalal further said, “Out of one to two lakh people, do 200 people not die in six months? Someone dies of a heart attack, while someone else dies due to some other illness.”
His comments come just days after protesting farm unions in Delhi announced that they will carry out a nation-wide ‘rail roko’ agitation on February 18.
Several farmers from Punjab and Haryana, participating in the farmers' agitation against the Centre's three farm laws at various Delhi border points, have died of different reasons including cardiac arrest.
Hours after making the statement, the minister said he has seen “twisted” statements, attributed to him, on social media. He further said a “wrong meaning” was given to his statements.
“If anybody is hurt by it, I tender my apology,” he said, adding he would continue to work for farmers’ welfare. He also said it is painful if anyone dies.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked Dalal over his remarks and said such a statement can only be made by an “insensitive” person. “These words can only be used by an insensitive man for agitating 'annadatas',” said Surjewala in a tweet.
Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja also slammed Dalal for his statement. “This reaction and laughter of the Haryana agriculture minister on the sacrifice of our farmer brothers are very sad,” she said in a tweet.
Punjab Congress leader Raj Kumar Verka also demanded Dalal’s ouster from the Haryana Cabinet over his “insensitive” remarks.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The protesting farmers have been expressing fear that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporate houses.
The Centre, however, has been insisting that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.
(With PTI inputs)
