Farmers’ protest: Haryana ministers to avoid hoisting national flag in 7 districts

The ongoing farmers’ protest and threat of a backlash has prompted the ministers in the Haryana government to avoid hoisting the Tricolour in places where they see possibility of trouble this Independence Day.

Most farmers, protesting in the outskirts of Delhi, hail from Sirsa, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sonipat and Jind districts. Deputy commissioners of police (DCP), and not district guardian ministers, will hoist the flags in these districts.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will hoist the national flag in Faridabad, while Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala will attend the August 15 function at Mahendragarh.

On their part, farmers will organise a parallel Tiranga Yatra across several districts of Haryana on Independence Day. Some farmers have decided to go all the way to Singhu border to join farmers camping there for months in protest against the three farm laws.

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Ever since the farmers’ protest gained momentum, leaders of BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), who head the government, have been targeted by agitating farmers.

In March, some farmers reached Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala’s office in Jind’s Uchana and raised slogans. The deputy CM’s office staff had to run away fearing for their lives.

Chief Minister Omprakash Chautala too had to reschedule his programmes several times to avoid crossing path with the protesters.

However, in June, the farmer leaders decided to tone down their attacks and gave some relief to the state ministers and leaders. They framed guidelines stating that protests against the leaders of BJP and its allies will be in the context of their official functions and not for their personal or private events.