Chandigarh, Nov 19 (IANS) Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal three farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said repealing the laws has once again highlighted the supreme character of the Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister told the media here that for more than a year since the Central government had brought three agriculture laws for the benefit of farmers, especially small and marginal ones, unfortunately, some farmer unions had been protesting on the Delhi borders.
"Today, Narendra Modi while once again choosing the larger public interest announced to repeal these laws. However, soon after the introduction of these laws, a large number of farmers had considered these laws beneficial for them and had also appreciated the Central government," said Khattar.
He said the decision of the Prime Minister showed that keeping the interest of the public was paramount for him as he announced to rollback the laws in the upcoming session of Parliament.
"Like Prime Minister, I would also urge farmers sitting on Delhi borders to immediately end their protest and return to their homes as the common man is also facing a lot of difficulties due to this agitation. Now, positive attitude should be adopted towards this issue," he said.
On the constitution of a committee for considering the demands of the farmers related to the minimum support price (MSP), Khattar said in the committee, representatives of farmer unions, state governments and scientists would be included.
"I hope a decision in this regard will also be taken soon," added the Chief Minister.
Responding to a question regarding withdrawal of cases registered against farmers, he said in these cases many other issues were taken into consideration.
"Some cases are general while in some incidents cases are registered under serious sections. Now, a positive initiative will be taken from the state government's side too and there will be no controversies."
Saying the state faced a major impact with the agitation in the past one year, Khattar said: "I have held various meetings with the Prime Minister, senior leaders and even with farmer unions. As many as 11 formal meetings were held with the farmers on this issue, along with many informal meetings for sharing their message with the Centre.
"I think the effort put in by us has also played an important role in the decision taken by the Prime Minister."
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday condemned the Congress government in Punjab for allegedly discriminating against teachers and forcing them to come to the streets, and asked state Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla not to behave in an 'arrogant' and 'dictatorial' manner and resolve the grievances of government school teachers immediately.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Thursday demanded a high court monitored probe into the manner in which the Congress government in Punjab was playing with the people's lives by creating an artificial shortage of vaccines by selling vaccine doses at a hefty profit to private hospitals.
The electronic conversation took place as US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that India will receive Covid vaccines directly from the US stockpile, the White House said.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General M.M. Naravane, reached Kashmir on Wednesday on a two-day visit to review the prevailing security situation in the Union Territory (UT), the army said in a statement.
"There have been several unfounded media reports that have peddled misinformation among the masses regarding this exercise of national importance," a ministry statement said, adding that the total number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country so far stand at 21,85,46,667.
The Congress said that it was "appropriate for our initial statement to note that the intrusion by Israeli forces into the Holy Al Aqsa mosque during Ramzan prayers had ruptured the delicate peace in the region".
