In a video that has gone viral, Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal is reportedly heard saying that farmers who passed away at the Delhi borders during the ongoing protests against the contentious farm laws would have died even if they had stayed back at home. Dalal was responding to the media on over 200 farmers’ deaths during the stir.
There has been a massive outrage following this remark. Several social media users called out the minister for his insensitivity. Actor Taapsee Pannu tweeted, "Value of human life ‘zilch’! Value of ppl who grow your food ‘zilch’ Mocking their deaths .... priceless ! Slow claps".
Actor Richa Chadha wrote, "Utterly disgraceful! We deserve better".
Following the backlash, Dalal said his that statement had been twisted on social media and a “wrong meaning” was attributed to it. “If anybody is hurt by it, I tender my apology,” he said, adding he would continue to work for farmers’ welfare. He reiterated that it is painful if anyone dies.
But in the controversial remark made in Bhiwani on Saturday and played by various news channels Dalal can be heard saying in Hindi, "Had they (the farmers) been at home, they would have died there also. Listen, out of one to two lakh, don’t 200 people die in six months? Someone is dying of a heart attack and someone after falling ill.”
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