Farmers Movement Archive

Farm groups: BJP outburst part of slanderous drive

Bathinda: Farm groups have termed BJP leaders and supporters’ outbursts against farmer protests as a part of a slanderous campaign linked to the saffron party’s defeat in three states, especially West Bengal, in May. The claim comes two days after a man was burnt alive near the Tikri border protest site. His family had accused the protesters for the death. The BJP’s campaign, according to farm groups, points to a fear psychosis in BJP leadership, which fears a repeat of its dwindling political fortunes in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. A day after the Tikri death, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Thursday night stated that incidents of violence and immoral acts were on the rise at farmer protest sites. “After Manohar Lal Khattar met Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday, it is reported that on the grounds of inappropriate incidents at the protest sites, and deteriorating law and order, a crackdown is being planned. But we warn against such efforts. The government has repeatedly failed in the past and will fail now too,” said Sanyukta Kisan Morcha leaders, including Darshan Pal. “In a democracy, the government is expected to accept legitimate demands of protesters, but the BJP government is unnecessarily prolonging this agitation, defaming it and hoping that it will just dissipate. This is not going to happen.”

The Times of India

2021-06-19

Chandigarh