Farmers Movement Archive

Day after attack on BJP MP’s car, 4 BKU activists arrested

SHAHABAD: Farmers, under the banner of BKU Haryana (Charuni), on Wednesday gheraoed the Shahabad police station in Kurukshetra district after four workers of the farm outfit were arrested for allegedly attacking the vehicle of Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday. The protesters demanded that the charge of attempt to murder be dropped from FIR. The arrested men were produced in the court, which sent them to judicial custody. A case against 11 identified BKU workers and 8 to 10 others, who are unidentified, has been registered under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the IPC at Shahabad police station. Police officials said they had a video of the incident, in which protesters can be seen confronting the MP’s vehicle, attempting to forcibly bring him out and smashing the windshield. “Four identified accused have been arrested. Other accused are being identified on the basis of the video and action will be taken on the basis of facts,” they said. Though police did not reveal the names of the arrested men, sources in BKU said all four — Kulwinder Singh of Majri Mohalla, Gurmeet Singh of Mamumajra, Hakam Singh of Ratangarh village and Kehar Singh of Damli village — were residents of Shahabad block. Soon after the arrests, BKU Haryana (Charuni) state spokesperson Rakesh Kumar Bains and senior leader Jasbir Singh Mamumajra led hundreds of farmers in raising slogans against the government at Shahabad police station. They demanded the release of the arrested workers and demanded that Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code be dropped as it was not relevant. “It is injustice with farmers, to silence their voice,” said Rakesh. To control the situation, Shahabad DSP Atma Ram and Pehowa DSP Gurmail Singh called five farm leaders to the police station and held a meeting with them for about one hour. The farmers ended their protest after the meeting. “We have assured to conduct a fair investigation, on the basis of the facts. The case registered will be reviewed and carried forward accordingly,” DSP Atma Ram said. Rakesh said, “No such crime has been committed that the police should add Section 307 of the IPC and arrest our union workers. These are attempts to suppress the voice of farmers. We held discussions with the police. They asked for facts from us and we have given them the same. The police have assured to review the case within three days and submit their report before the court accordingly. But we are not satisfied with the police assurance and have called a panchayat at Shahabad on April 12.” A press release issued by the police states: “On April 6, 2021, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini had come from Naraingarh to Shahabad to the house of Inderjeet in Majri Mohalla for personal work. At the same time, BKU members had gathered to gherao the house of Shahabad MLA Ram Karan Kala. Farmers came to know about the arrival of MP in Shahabad and the BKU members went to gherao him in Majri Mohalla.” “When the MP was about to leave in his car, the BKU members raised slogans against him and showed him black flags. They tried to open the door of the MP’s car... Some protesters even... smashed the rear windshield of his vehicle. In this incident, the MP had a narrow escape and was safely evacuated with the help of a police team,” it adds.

The Times of India

2021-04-08

Chandigarh