Farmers Movement Archive

Farmer activists ensure no BJP help desk set up outside polling stations

Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, February 14In wake of the ongoing protest against the BJP-led Centre Government, activists of farmer unions ensured no BJP help desk was set up to assist voters outside the polling booths in ward number 37 during the by-election here today.BJP candidate Manohar Singh claimed that senior party leadership had already instructed him not to set up any help desk to avoid any conflict. So he didn’t make such arrangements.Despite this, a number of activists from Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Kot Budha) checked all 12 polling booths of the Municipal Corporation’s Ward No. 37 to make sure that the BJP candidate had no help desk.More than 25 farmers from nearby villages, led by Sonu Mahal of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, visited the ward on motorcycles to check the movement of the BJP candidate around 11 am. They held a demonstration at Kot Atma Ram and also raised anti-BJP slogans.Jagtar Singh from Sultanwind village said: “We wanted to give feedback to the BJP’s high command for enacting the farm laws. It’s not only about this poll. We will fight till next Assembly elections if the government doesn’t repeal the new laws.”Manohar Singh said: “The party had already issued instructions to avoid such conflicts. We were aware that the action was planned by rival political parties. So we didn’t establish any help desk.”

The Tribune

2021-02-15