Farmers Movement Archive

Protest at ex-Minister’s home in Haryana ends

Former Minister Manish Grover touched the feet of the women protesters seeking their blessings, causing the five-day-long sit-in outside his residence in Rohtak to end late on Saturday night. Farmers unions had been staging a sit-in against alleged obscene gestures to women protesters in Hisar on July 10. The protests concluded following a meeting between protesting farmers and Mr. Grover at the initiative of some distinguished persons with the mediation of the local administration. The former Minister spoke to the enraged women who supposedly had witnessed a man sitting in a car with him and Hansi MLA Vinod Bhayana and making obscene gestures to them in front of Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar. After listening to their version that they did not exactly recognise the person sitting close to Mr. Bhayana, the former Minister touched the feet of women and sought their blessings, said a press statement issued by Samyukt Kisan Morcha. All the aggrieved women led by Jagmati Sangwan, national vice-president, All-India Democratic Women’s Association and the farmers leaders expressed their satisfaction over the deliberations and the outcome. Inderjit Singh, vice-president, Haryana, All-India Kisan Sabha, announced the lifting of the sit-in and cancellation of the Mahila Nyaya Panchayat scheduled for July 19, which was to be addressed by top brass of the SKM. Meanwhile, the stalemate continues in Sirsa where farmers are demanding the release of five protesters who were arrested following an attack on Haryana Assembly Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa’s car on July 11. Over 100 booked Police had booked over 100 people, mostly unidentified, for sedition, obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty, murderous attempt on an elected representative and damaging public property. The first round of talks between protesters and the district administration had failed. The SKM said a senior farmer leader has also gone on a fast-unto-death over the issue. It demanded immediate release of the five farmers and withdrawal of all cases. (With PTI inputs)

The Hindu

2021-07-19

GURUGRAM