Farmers Movement Archive

Outside BJP camp in Haryana, farmers protest against party state chief Dhankar

Kurukshetra: BKU (Charuni) members held a protest against BJP’s Haryana chief Om Prakash Dhankar, who was here for a training camp of party workers on Friday. About 150 farmers gathered outside the Ambedkar Bhawan, the venue for the BJP event, and raised slogans against the Haryana government and Dhankar. They blocked the main gate and police, who were deputed to avoid confrontation between farmers and BJP workers, had to forcibly detain them in order to clear the way Dhankar, after the conclusion of training camp. Harpal Sudhal, who was among the protesters, said, “Police forcibly picked up the farmers while holding a peaceful protest against Dhankar in Kurukshetra. They tore the clothes of protesters, even inflicting injury on four of our workers. They released us after detaining us for some time at Kurukshetra police lines. We will continue our protest against the BJP leaders till the Centre repeals the three farm laws and MSP is guaranteed.” Kurukshetra additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ravinder Singh Tomar, who was overseeing the security arrangements, said, “The protesting farmers avoided arrests and we had to forcibly pick them up and take them to Kurukshetra police lines in buses. Police did not use any force or lathi, and maintained law and order very well. The BJP event was completed peacefully and farmers were detained to avoid any confrontation.” Among others who attended the event were Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini and Haryana chief minister’s political secretary Krishan Kumar Bedi and BJP district president Raj Kumar Saini.Earlier in the day, farmers held a panchayat under the banner of BKU Haryana (Charuni) at Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial Hall on Barara road in Shahabad-Markanda town, to discuss police action in case related to smashing the windshield of Kurukshetra MP’s SUV on April 6 in Shahabad. Police has added Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC in the case. After the meeting, they gathered outside the Shahabad-Markanda police station and burnt the effigies of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini to protest the “politically motivated police action”. In Shahabad, BKU (Haryana) Charuni state spokesperson Rakesh Kumar Bains said, “Section 307 of the IPC was added to suppress the voice of farmers, following pressure from a politician. The same section could not stand in the court and it has been changed to 308... They had arrested our four union workers but they got bail from the court. We term it as murder of democracy by the police. Therefore, we burnt the effigies and held a protest.” 4 arrested farmers released All four arrested farmers — Gurvinder Singh of Mamu Majra village, Kulwinder of Majra Mohalla, Kehar Singh of Damli village and Hakam Rai Sura of Rattangarh village — were released from Kurukshetra district jail on Friday, following a district court order issued on Thursday.

The Times of India

2021-04-17

Chandigarh