Farmers Movement Archive

AAP, BJP spar over parties’ ‘roles’ in violence during Republic Day rally

NEW DELHI: Launching an attack on BJP over the Republic Day violence and the ongoing tension between local residents and the protesting farmers at Delhi’s borders, AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj charged BJP leaders with being anti-nationals and said sedition cases should be filed against them alongside a National Investigation Agency probe. “After BJP came to power, students, Dalits, businessmen and lawyers have held protests. Now it’s the farmers. BJP calls such protesters anti-nationals and filed sedition cases against them,” Bharadwaj said, adding that BJP was trying to create a narrative painting the protesters as Khalistanis or terrorists. AAP alleged BJP had set up camps outside the barricades near the protest sites and the “camps were run by BJP agent Deep Sidhu”. “On Republic Day, Sidhu was allowed by Delhi Police to enter Delhi earlier than the farmers,” claimed Bharadwaj. “On the instructions of BJP, police allowed this person to reach and vandalise Red Fort and to hoist the Nishan Sahib there.” Alongside, Bharadwaj said, BJP had curtailed internet access so that the farmers were left with no way of communicating the truth to the people. He then alleged that BJP activists in the guise of local residents assaulted the protesters at Singhu and Tikri borders on Friday. He accused BJP of instructing police to allow the BJP people to enter the protest site and assault the farmers. On Saturday, AAP MLA Raghav Chadha also asked Punjab government to provide police security to the agitating farmers. “The BJP goons have been continuously intimidating the farmers to make them vacate the protest sites. There is, therefore, a clear safety and security threat to the farmers,” claimed Chadha, adding that Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh should deploy Punjab Police to protect the agitators instead of “trying to shield BJP whose men are attacking the farmers”. Delhi BJP functionary Harsh Malhotra said it was sad to see AAP denigrating police and local residents for protesting against the siege of the city’s border. “No BJP worker is involved in any violence or protest against the farmers,” Malhotra insisted. In turn, he accused AAP of involvement saying “many of its party workers were present in the tractor parade”. Watch BJP's hand in Republic Day violence, alleges AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj

The Times of India

2021-01-31

Delhi