Anil Vij, a minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana, on Thursday threatened to start an indefinite hunger strike “like farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal” alleging that state officials were not complying with his instructions, ETV Bharat reported.

“I used to hold a janta darbar [public court] in Ambala every Monday, which I have discontinued,” Vij said. “The officers are not doing the work [on my instructions].”

Dallewal has been on a hunger strike since November 26 at Khanauri, located on the Punjab-Haryana border. The strike is part of a wider campaign to press the Union government to accept farmers’ demand for legally guaranteed minimum support prices. The minimum support price is the rate at which the government procures crops from farmers.

Vij stated that he has “nothing to do” with the rest of the state. “But the public of Ambala Cantt [Cantonment] has elected me,” said the seven-time MLA from the seat. “For their works, I will launch an agitation.”

The minister also stated that he may not chair meetings of the public grievances committee as his orders were not being complied with by the officials.

The BJP leader has criticised party leadership on several instances.

On January 18, Vij said the BJP’s Haryana chief Mohan Lal Badoli should resign from his post because he had been booked in a gangrape case.

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Haryana in October, Vij had said that he would stake claim for the chief minister’s post if the party returned to power.

However, soon after, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s election in-charge in Haryana, stated that Nayab Singh Saini was the party’s chief ministerial candidate.

In March, the BJP had replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Saini as the chief minister ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Quoting unidentified officials, The Indian Express had reported at the time that Vij was unhappy about Saini being made the chief minister. He reportedly voted against making Saini in the legislature party meeting.

He had reportedly skipped Saini’s swearing-in ceremony and left the meeting midway. When asked what transpired in the meeting, Vij had told media persons that those “who have come from Delhi will tell”.