After Harsimrat Kaur Badal quits Modi govt, pressure mounts on Dushyant Chautala to resign

You are more attached to your chair than farmers, said Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala

After Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned on Thursday from PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet over the passing of controversial farm sector reform Bills, pressure mounted from the Opposition on the Jannayak Janata Party leader Dushyant Chautala to quit. Badal was the lone Shiromani Akali Dal minister in the Cabinet.

At present, JJP leads a coalition government along with BJP in Haryana.

Also read — President accepts Harsimrat Kaur Badal's resignation

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet, "Dushyant ji, Following Harsimrat Kaur Badal you should have resigned at least from the Dy CM post. You are more attached to your chair than farmers...."

Harsimrat Kaur Badal quit after the Lok Sabha passed the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill. The Bills allow farmers to sell their produce beyond APMC limits and paves way for contract farming.

Also read: Harsimrat Kaur Badal quits Modi government over agricultural reform bills

The farmers' agitation against the ordinance put Dushyant Chautala's JJP to take a stand on the issue like the Akalis as both the parties share close family ties. Their respective states also have a strong rural base.

Also Read: Lok Sabha passes two agricultural sector bills, Modi loses minister

Even while opposing the farm ordinance, Akali Dal's Sukhbir Badal termed former Deputy Prime Minister Late Devi Lal, INLD founder and great-grandfather of Dushyant Chautala, as one of the greatest farm leaders of the nation.

Chautala was born in the Hisar district of Haryana in 1988. His parents are Ajay Singh Chautala and Naina Singh Chautala. He is the grandson of Haryana's former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.

In the 2019 Haryana polls, Dushyant Chautala contested from the Uchana Kalan district against the BJP.