Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said that the ongoing farmers’ stir is contributing to the spread of COVID-19 in villages. He urged the farmers to suspend their stir and get tested for the infection. Chief Minister Khattar also expressed concern over farm leaders’ reluctance to get the agitating farmers tested for Covid-19. Khattar urged the farmers to call off their stir and added that they may resume the agitation later when the pandemic is contained.
Khattar said that it has come to light that because of these dharnas, the infection has spread to rural areas. He added that hotspots have emerged in many villages because their people are regularly coming and going back from protest sites.
“The farmer leaders keep ranting that they will take the vaccine but will not get themselves tested. If they do not get tested, one doesn’t know who might have been impacted by COVID….They should get tested so that those found positive can be treated and other necessary measures can be taken,” said Khattar.
A month ago as well, Khattar had asked the farmers to call off their stir and get themselves tested for COVID-19.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij too expressed concern over farmer leaders’ refusal to ask their followers to take the COVID test. Vij said that if one of the protesters gets infected, many others too will be at the risk.
He had then said while it is the constitutional right of every person to protest and the state does not have a problem with anyone doing so in a peaceful manner, the situation due to rising COVID cases is a matter of concern.