Haryana BJP coalition partner seeks relief for 'martyr' farmers

Chandigarh, Nov 20 (IANS) The Haryana BJP's crucial coalition partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Chautala on Saturday came 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 against the three new farm laws.

"I request the Central government to provide adequate financial compensation to the families of the farmers who were martyred in the protest and the cases filed against the farmers should be revoked so that their faith in the government increases more and they return to their homes happily," Chautala tweeted.

His assertion assumes significance a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the three agriculture laws will be repealed in the winter session of Parliament.

There has also been criticism within the party for not walking out of the alliance on the issue of the farmers and 'clinging to power'.

The JJP had extended support to the BJP, which won 40 seats, six short of the majority mark.

An 'irritant' in the government led by BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar is also the registration of hundreds of cases against the farmers for violence, breaching barricades and causing disruption in the discharge of duty by government employees.

Deputy Chief Minister Chautala has been maintaining a stoic silence largely in public over the issue of the farmers.

A day earlier, Khattar said a positive initiative will be taken by the government on the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers and there will be no controversies.

"Some cases are general while in some incidents, cases are registered under serious sections. Now, a positive initiative will be taken from the state government's side too and there will be no controversies," Khattar told the media here.

The JJP -- a defector from the state's once prominent regional outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) -- is primarily a rural Jat-centric party with the farmers as its core vote bank. The Jats, a dominant farming community, comprise 28 per cent of the state's population.