Haryana Deputy CM’s resignation will not serve any purpose: JJP leader

Chandigarh, Feb 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Afraid of losing the vote bank owing to the much delay in resolving the issue of those farmers protesting against the Centre's three agricultural laws, the BJP-led coalition partner JJP's leader Ajay Chautala on Saturday said that withdrawing the Haryana government's support "will not serve any purpose".

His reaction came after he was asked whether Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and other Ministers from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) will resign from the BJP government as the pressure was mounting on withdrawing the support of the farm laws.

"Dushyant's resignation is lying in my pocket and I can give it immediately if it serves any purpose," he told the media.

"The Centre has made these legislations. Either the government should resolve this issue or all the 10 Lok Sabha MPs from Haryana or all the 5 Rajya Sabha members resign who have endorsed these laws," he said.

Without mincing words, the senior Chautala, who is on parole from Tihar Jail the teachers' recruitment case, clarified, "I had said this earlier too that I would not take a minute."

Responding to the resignation of Indian National Lok Dal's lone legislator and his elder brother Abhay Singh Chautala's resignation from the state assembly in protest against the farm laws, Ajay Chautala said, "No purpose is served with his resignation."

"I have been saying from the day one that the problem can be resolved only by talks. Farmers had started with certain issues and clarifications have been given by the Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Prime Minister Narendra Modia has said that the government is ready to resolve the issue. If people are still not satisfied, then what can be done. They should go and hold discussions with the government. There can be solutions only when both sides bend a little."

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

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

The JJP -- a defector of 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 Jat, a dominant farming community, comprises 28 per cent of the state's population.

The current strength of the 90-member Assembly is 88 members with the resignation of INLD's Abhay Chautala and disqualification of Congress' Pradeep Chaudhary after he was sentenced to three-year imprisonment.

Source: IANS