Farmers Movement Archive

Standoff ends as Tohana MLA tenders apology to farmers

Hisar, June 5The five-day standoff between the farmers and the JJP’s Tohana MLA Devender Singh Babli ended today as the MLA tendered his apology to the farmers for using inappropriate language.The MLA also announced to forgive those persons with whom he had a confrontation on Tuesday.The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Charuni and Yogendra Yadav had reached Tohana to court arrest on their demand for apology from Babli and the withdrawal of the criminal cases against the farmers.They gathered at the Anaj mandi in Tohana town of Fatehabad district and staged a demonstration there. Later, they carried out a march in the town and reached the Tohana police sadar station to court arrest in support of their demands.Addressing the activists, BKU leader Tikait said the police were fond of making arrests of the farmers. They had turned up in large numbers to court arrest. He stated that the people of Haryana are revolutionaries and could not be bogged down by the pressure tactics of the government.“We need to save our energies to take on the Central government on the issue of the three agriculture laws. The participation of Haryana people in the agitation has not gone down well with the government, thus it is trying to provoke the farmers so that the agitation can be sabotaged. But we have understood the plans of the government,” he said.Charuni also lambasted the state government, alleging that false cases were being made out against farmers in various districts of Haryana. “We have come to Tohana to court arrest and thus the police need not to make raids to carry out arrests,” he said.After nearly three hours of protest, the farm leaders were approached by a mediator that the MLA Babli wanted to hold talks with them on the issue. The leaders accepted his offer and reached the rest house for holding the discussion. The sources said that four leaders, including Tikait and Charuni besides some representatives of the administration, were present during the talks which continued for nearly an hour.Later, MLA Babli released a video in which he stated that he had forgiven the persons who assaulted his car on Tuesday in Tohana. “I also take back the unparliamentary words which I used during the incident. I express my regret.”

The Tribune

2021-06-06