Manohar Khattar says those protesting at borders are not farmers, Congress reacts

Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar ignited fresh controversy with his remarks that the protesters at the borders of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi borders were not farmers. He claimed that those leading the protests aimed to topple the Central and Haryana governments.
“Some people from Punjab, disguising themselves as farmers, started an uprising… The intention behind it was to bring down the Central and Haryana governments. Those disguised individuals even stormed the Red Fort in Delhi and reached the capital with tractors. They were not farmers…” Khattar said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
On August 31, farmers at the Shambhu border marked 200th day of their ongoing protest. Farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu border since February 13, after authorities prevented their march to Delhi. The protesters are demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, among other key issues.
Khattar’s remarks on the farmers’ protest prompted a response from Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who sarcastically taunted him. “Khattar Sahab was removed because the BJP understood that as long as Khattar sahab is there, they will not get a single seat”, said the Congress leader.
The BJP has experienced a significant decline in its vote share in Haryana during both the Lok Sabha and the previous Assembly elections. The party’s vote share in the Assembly elections dropped from 43 per cent in 2014 to 36.49 per cent in 2019. Similarly, its Lok Sabha vote share decreased from 58.21 per cent in 2019 to 46.10 per cent in 2024.
Haryana is set to go to the polls on October 5, with the results for both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to be announced on October 8.