Farmers Movement Archive

Naraingarh incident: Farmers call off protest after promise of fair probe

AMBALA: Farm activists associated with BKU (Charuni) and officials of the district administration held a meeting at Naraingarh municipal council (MC) office on Sunday to discuss allegations of BJP Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini’s driver trying to run over a farmer on October 7. In the meeting, farmers and the administration reached an agreement that the entire episode would be investigated fairly by a team headed by Ambala Cantonment deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ram Kumar. A protest which had been called against the incident was later called off. On October 7, activists under the banner of BKU (Charuni) were protesting against Saini and state cabinet minister Mool Chand Sharma’s visit at Saini Dharamshala in Naraingarh when the alleged incident took place. Bhawan Preet of Bakala village submitted a complaint to Naraingarh DSP Anil Kumar over the incident. In a complaint against Saini and his driver Rajeev, Bhawan Preet alleged, “Rajeev had hit me with the car and threatened to repeat Lakhimpur Kheri if we protested again.” Farmers had given the call to gather at Naraingarh police station on Sunday if no action was taken on their complaint. Farmers gathered on the call, but the administration invited them to hold talks at the Naraingarh MC office and held two rounds of meetings. During the meeting, police handed over to farmers a stamped copy of their complaint against Saini and Rajeev, and also assured a fair probe. The closed-door meeting was held between five farmers led by BKU (Charuni) Ambala district president Malkiat Singh Sahibpura and Naraingarh SDM Neeraj, Naraingarh DSP Anil Kumar, and DSP Amit Bhatia, who had been deputed for the talks. Ambala SP Hamid Akhtar also met farmers at Shahzadpur when they were on their way to Naraingarh. He talked to them on the phone during the meeting and assured a fair probe. Till Sunday, no action was taken on Bhawan’s complaint. However, three FIRs were registered against farmers on October 8. In all of them, Bhawan Preet, Malkiat Singh Sahibpura, and others were booked by Ambala police at Naraingarh police station. Sahibpura confirmed the outcome of the meeting and so did Naraingarh DSP. Sahibpura said they had called off the protest call.

The Times of India

2021-10-11

Chandigarh