Haryana BJP MP Nayab Saini’s SUV blocked by farmers, windshield broken

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) parliamentarian from Haryana, Nayab Saini’s car was surrounded by a group of farmers protesting against the three central farm laws during his visit to Shahbad town in Kurukshetra district on Tuesday. The MP’s car was escorted out after its rear windshield was broken by some miscreant in the protesting crowd. The MP was unharmed in the incident, said officials.

Shahbad DSP Atma Ram said police personnel managed to clear the way for the MP’s vehicle and added that an investigation was going on in the incident, following which action will be taken. Earlier, farmers associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Charuni), showed black flags to Saini and blocked his SUV. The security personnel faced difficulty in clearing the way blocked by the agitating farmers.

BKU (Charuni) and other farmers’ groups have been protesting against the Haryana government’s support for the three central farm reform laws, passed by Parliament last year, alleging it took away the guarantee of minimum support price for their produce and left them vulnerable to the big corporate houses. The government says the laws were necessary to increase farmers’ income and invite private investment to develop the farming sector’s full potential in the country. The unconvinced farmers’ groups have been demanding the repeal of the laws and protesting against the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and the BJP government in the state.

On Tuesday, the BKU was initially protesting outside the residence of Shahabad’s JJP MLA Ram Karan’s residence before they changed tact to surround the house of a local BJP worker, who was being paid a visit by the Kurukshetra MP. They blocked the way of the MP’s vehicle and raised slogans against the BJP-led central and state governments. The farmers were removed by police personnel only after an hour-long drama.