New Delhi: After the Centre invited farmers for dialogue on February 14, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s speech at an ICAR-CIRCOT event is gaining attention. At the event on December 3 Dhankhar had retreated the importance of dialogue with the farmers who have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 2024.
“Our mind should be positive and not create obstacles thinking that if we pay this price to the farmer then it will have adverse consequences. Whatever price is given to the farmer, the country will get five times that amount, there is no doubt about it!” he said at the event.
VP had urged Shivraj Singh Chouhan to talk to farmers
Recently at a function in Maharashtra, he had publicly urged Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Union agriculture minister, to talk to farmers and try to find a solution to their demands. Even last week too the VP has said that distress of farmers needs urgent national attention and their issues deserve timely resolution.
After the government’s invitation the VP said: “Democratic polity thrives on discourse. Expression and discourse are fundamental to democracy. We cannot claim to be living in a democracy if we do not have right of expression. However, expression without dialogue is incomplete. Absence of dialogue can be apocalyptic! Absence of dialogue can be death-knell for democratic institutions.”
Dhankhar was speaking at the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of the Nandlal Nuwal Centre of Indology at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi on Monday.
