Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, February 13

Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal said 200 farmers who died during the ongoing protests would have died anywhere—remarks that could be seen as insensitive.

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Dalal, who was addressing a press conference in Bhiwani, said the farmers who died during the protests would have “died even if they were home (ye ghar par hote toh bhi marte)”.

He followed up this remark by saying that one only had to look at the data on deaths to know this.

“They have died in the same ratio of deaths. Would 200 people have not died in a lakh or two in the last few months,” he said, adding heart failures and illnesses usually caused deaths.

He then accused the protesters of having been spurred on “Left activists who dance on China’s tunes to create a hostile environment” to drive out investment.

He also called Bharatiya Kisan Union’s national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait a ‘sadak chhap’ (vagabond) leader with vested interests.

He claimed another leader from Western Uttar Pradesh was brewing trouble in Haryana. Although he did not name anybody, he seems to be hinting at Yashpal Malik.