Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, Ram Chander Jangra, has come under intense scrutiny for his controversial statements about farmers, which included calling them "drug peddlers" and "butchers."

His remarks were made during the inauguration of the cane-crushing season at the Meham mill in Rohtak on Thursday (December 13).

Jangra alleged that drug peddlers from Punjab had spread a drug menace in Haryana during the 2021 farmers' agitation at the Haryana-Delhi border. In his speech, Jangra claimed that the protests had adverse effects on Haryana’s social fabric.

“Before 2021, there were only two forms of intoxication, one was liquior, another was bidis or cigarettes. After 2021, the drugs spread in villages, some are consuming 'chitta', heroin, cocaine, and smack. Where did it come from?" he said.

"In 2021, for one year, 'Punjab ke nashedi' (drug addicts of Punjab), who sat on Singhu and Tikri borders, spread a drug network in Haryana,” he added.

He also claimed that nearly 700 girls went missing from villages near the protest sites, which he attributed to the agitators.

"For your information, you should ask for the CID report, from villages near the Singhu border and on the Tikri border, 700 girls went missing. Where they went, no one knows?" Jangra said.

In his address, Jangra also criticized farmer leaders for using the agitation to further their political ambitions, pointing out that leaders like Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni had faced electoral losses.

"Rakesh Tikait (BKU leader) fought two polls in UP, and he forfeited his security deposit. (Haryana BKU chief) Gurnam Singh Charuni fought from Pehowa, he got 1,170 votes. They come to provoke you, collect funds, drive a wedge between us and leave,” the BJP MP stated.

He argued that the protests caused significant economic disruption in Haryana, with many factories shutting down, which ultimately harmed local farmers.

"On Kundli border, 100 factories shut down, at Bahadurgarh border (Tikri) too 100 factories were shuttered. Who suffered the loss? It was Haryana, our farmers. Whose brotherhood was spoiled, whose funds they took, whose girls went missing, whose youth fell prey to drugs? it was ours. Our state had to bear such losses due to this agitation," Jangra further added.

The statements quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread condemnation.

Farmer leaders were quick to challenge Jangra's allegations, questioning him to provide evidence, such as FIRs, to support his claims about missing women and increased drug use. They dismissed his comments as unfounded and politically motivated.

As the pressure mounted, the BJP leader backtracked on the issue and insisted that his words had been misinterpreted.

"I had stated during my speech that drug peddlers from Punjab had spread drug menace in Haryana by taking advantage of the farmers' agitation. A person was murdered and his body was hung along a road, and I referred to the butcher's expression in this context," he told The Tribune.

Regarding the claim about missing girls, Jangra explained that the prolonged protests had led to the closure of factories, and many women who worked there had reportedly fallen victim to human trafficking.
 
"I have never levelled any allegation against the farmers. Farmers produce food-grains for 140 crore citizens of our country and are the largest contributors to the country's GDP," he added.

Jangra further advised farmers not to be misled by vested interests that hinder progress and social harmony.