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Cong. portrays Chautala anti-farmer

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JUNE 21. Demanding a CBI enquiry into the recent killings of farmers in police firing in Haryana, the Congress today urged the President, K.R. Narayanan, to immediately dismiss the "brutal'' and "lawless'' Om Prakash Chautala Government in the State.

Describing the Chautala Government as ''anti-farmer'' and ''anti-people'', senior Congress leader, Arjun Singh, said ever since the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Government came to power in the State by taking support of populist slogans, people of the State have been doomed to live a miserable life.

Addressing the rally which marked the culmination of the ''padyatra'' undertaken by the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee under its leader, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, from Jind, Mr. Singh said, ''I am not surprised at what Mr. Chautala is doing to the people of Haryana, and the Chief Minister has got full support of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to carry out his evil designs.''

Stating that the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, had always stood up in support of the farmers, the Congress Working Committee member said farmers take to streets only when it becomes a matter of survival for them. What was happening in Haryana clearly reveals the sordid tale to governance in the State, he added.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Haryana, Mohsina Kidwai, said she had no faith in any kind of enquiry instituted by the Haryana Government. Only a CBI enquiry could reveal the truth behind police brutality against the protesting farmers, she added.

``During a short period of 12 days last month, police on four occasions resorted to firing on peaceful farmers killing eight and injuring over 200 people. It was Mr. Chautala who made false promises of providing free electricity and water to farmers but when time came to fulfil them, what poor peasants got were bullets,'' she rued.

Supporting the demand for a CBI enquiry, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, said the Chautala Government was a disgrace to the nation and should be immediately dismissed. Ms. Dikshit urged farmers to beware political parties like the INLD which make false promises to gain power and later act with vengeance against their own people.

There was some disruption in the rally when the former Haryana Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal, rose to speak as he had to face slogans against him. In his brief speech, Mr. Lal reiterated his support to farmers and said he would continue to fight for their rights.

Accusing Mr. Chautala and Mr. Vajpayee of misgovernance in Haryana, the HPCC chief, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said there was complete lawlessness and anarchy prevailing in the State where every section of the society was in dilemma. Urging the President to intervene in the matter, Mr. Hooda said the Chautala Government has failed on all fronts. Cases of land grabbing, police atrocities and heinous crime had become commonplace while unemployment and poverty deaths were increasing, he added.

Mr. Hooda said the party would continue to agitate till the Chautala Government was removed from power.

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