Dushyant Chautala has said that farmers' unions must choose the amendment route to find a solution.
Farmers' unions must choose the amendment route to find a solution, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said, urging protesters - who have refused to budge from their demand of complete rollback of centre's three agriculture laws - to offer "concrete suggestions". He also offered to become a mediator.
Mr Chautala also attacked opposition parties for "using farmers for political gain", and reiterated that he would resign the day he feels he is unable to ensure minimum support price (MSP) to farmers in Haryana.
"Congress leaders don't even know the names of summer and winter crops. They are doing politics in the name of supporting farmers," said the President of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which props up the BJP-led government in Haryana and whose core vote bank are farmers.
"Farmers must talk to the Centre, which has repeatedly invited union leaders for discussions. One can't find a solution without dialogue... I believe the laws need many amendments. The centre is ready to give written assurance for MSP (minimum support price), accept changes to the Electricity Bill," he said at a press conference where he gave the example of Anna Hazare's months' long anti-corruption movement in 2011.
Mr Chautala's suggestions turned the table on farmers who had, on Wednesday, said they were ready to have a dialogue ut the government must come with "an open mind". They added that the centre must send "a concrete proposal in writing instead of repeating amendments that have been rejected".
On Thursday, Mr Chautala urged the leaders of 40 unions steering the movement, to "think about farmers' wellbeing and initiate dialogue".
The statement came as Mr Chautala was boycotted in his home constituency ahead of a visit, where villagers sought his resignation in support of farmers' demand.
Quit and back the farmers, villagers said after breaking the helipad constructed for his visit.
Amid pressure on his party to pull support from the state's ML Khattar government, Mr Chautala's Thursday appeal is in sync with its ally BJP. "There's no pressure on the government," he said.
Lakhs of farmers have been protesting along Delhi's borders for the last 28 days demanding repeal of three farms laws they fear will strip them of MSP and leave them vulnerable to exploitation by corporates.
The centre, which has held multiple rounds of talks with farmers with no breakthrough so far, has said the laws merely open up more markets and that farmers were being misled by the opposition parties.
Both, the opposition parties and farmers, have rejected the allegation.
On Thursday, opposition leaders from Congress, NCP, DMK, PAGD, RJD, SP, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), AIFB and RSP leaders submitted a joint statement dismissing as " baseless" the ruling dispensation's allegations that farmers were being "lied to" and "misled" by opposition parties.
"The call for this historic struggle was given by more than 500 kisan organisations from all over the country under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Many of us had opposed these laws when they were being enacted in Parliament without discussion," the joint statement issued read.
(With inputs from PTI)