Farmers Movement Archive

Oppn supported mobsters behind vandalism during tractor rally: BJP

Lucknow: A day after protesting farmers went on a rampage in Delhi and created ruckus in the Red Fort, BJP leaders slammed opposition parties accusing them of supporting mobsters who wreaked havoc in the national capital by indulging in violence. On Wednesday, Union minister and Muzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Baliyan accused the opposition of damaging the democratic set up through backchannel support to violent agitators. BJP’s Loni MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar went a step ahead and demanded slapping of National Security Act on opposition leaders, including Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav and their trial in a fast track court. Addressing a gathering at Purkazi assembly seat in Muzaffarnagar, Baliyan said people will not forgive the agitators who insulted the national flag and attacked Delhi Police personnel, many of whom are sons of farmers. “This appears to be a handiwork of parties which have lost ground among people and are inciting them in the name of protests,” he said, adding the country has seen farmers’ demonstrations under former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mahendra Singh Tikait. “Not a finger was raised at the farming community. All protests went through peacefully,” he said. Baliyan said Mahendra Singh Tikait sought rights for farmers to sell their produce at the place of their choice. If anyone has a problem, he was free to contest election and make new laws, he added. Baliyan said the protest is not of the farmers, for the farmers and by the farmers. “The government is ready to address the concerns of farmers, but when talks were still on, anti-social elements entered and incited violent protests,” he said. BJP organisation secretary Chandra Mohan said the violence has caused restlessness among farmers in UP.

The Times of India

2021-01-28

Lucknow