Farmers Movement Archive

Former MP, MLAs among 159 booked for violating prohibitory orders during protest against farm laws

AGRA: Aligarh police have registered 11 FIRs against 94 identified people, including former MP, MLAs and Samajwadi Party workers and 65 unidentified people, for violating prohibitory orders and Covid-19 guidelines during their protests on Monday and Tuesday expressing solidarity with farmers against the new farm laws. According to police, 11 FIRs have been registered at various police stations, including Kawarsi, Civil Lines, Khair and Tappal on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as the protests were held without valid permission and violated prohibitory orders clamped in the city. Covid-19 guidelines were also not followed by the protesters, said police. MP Bijendra Singh and former MLAs -- Zamirullah Khan, Jafar Aalam and Thakur Rakesh Singh -- along with several Samajwadi Party workers, were booked under sections 188, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 3 of the Epidemic Act, and section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act at Kawarsi police station. Kisan union leaders were also booked. Former Samajwadi Party MLA from Chharra, Thakur Rakesh Singh, was also booked for allegedly assaulting police personnel during the protest. The video of the incident in which he held the collar of a police personnel, after the latter asked the protesters to end their stir, went viral on social media. The FIR was registered against the MLA under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC at Kawarsi police station. Talking to the media, former MP Bijendra Singh said it is unfortunate that the country's “annadata” (food provider) is fighting for their justified demands and police are not allowing “us” to support them. “We have been booked on the directions of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. We have neither flouted the Covid-19 guidelines nor have committed a crime; the situation worse than pre-independence British rule,” he said.

The Times of India

2020-12-10

Agra