'Are farmers the soldiers of Pak, China?': AAP compares Khattar to general Dyer

The use of teargas canisters by the Haryana Police on Sunday against a group of farmers opposing the Centre's three farm laws has provoked a heated response from the Aam Aadmi Party.

The Haryana Police used teargas to thwart a march by a group of agitating farmers towards Delhi at Masani barrage in Rewari district. Farmers first broke police barricades put up near Bhudla Sangwari village and then started moving towards Delhi on Sunday evening. They had been camping at the service lane of the Delhi-Jaipur Highway for the past few days, police said. When the farmers’ group reached Masani barrage where the barricades were put up, police used teargas to disperse them.

Commenting on the incident on Monday, Raghav Chadha, national spokesperson for the national executive of the AAP, alleged some state governments of the BJP were treating the protesting farmers as "enemies".

Referring to videos of the use of teargas by the Haryana Police, Chadha claimed, "I initially thought the footage was from the India-Pakistan border, where firing had started."

"The Haryana Police were attacking the farmers. I was reminded of April 13, 1919, when general Dyer ordered opening of fire at Jallianwala Bagh, and innocent people were fired upon. Haryana Chief Minister M.L. Khattar, like general Dyer, was raining bullets, teargas on farmers,” Chadha said in a video uploaded on AAP's Twitter handle.

Chadha asked, "Are Indian farmers our enemies? Are Indian farmers the soldiers of Pakistan or China that you [Khattar government] are attacking them?"

Meanwhile, the seventh round of talks on the contentious farm laws will be held between protesting farmers' unions and the Central government on Monday.

Farmers from different states have been camping at various border points of Delhi for 40 days now to demand the repeal of the three farm laws enacted in September and a legal backing for the minimum support price (MSP). The farmers had a difficult morning on Sunday as overnight rains left their tents waterlogged, firewood and blankets soaked and intensified the cold. However, the farmers have said the weather will not dampen their spirit and they will continue the protest till their demands are met.

(With PTI inputs)