Farmers Movement Archive

Slipper thrown at Sukhbir’s convoy, SSP says no clue who did it

Jalandhar, October 9Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal had to face a massive protest from farmers during his visit to Jalandhar in connection with a rally jointly organised with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Pathankot Road here.Hundreds of farmers participated in the protest. One of the protesters at Kishangarh Chowk even threw a slipper at the SAD chief’s convoy that was passing through.SAD should have at least waited for this issue to get resolved. Our community has come to express anger here. —Jaspal Singh, a member of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal)There were reportedly about 500 farmers at the site. We have not been able to trace the culprit so far. No such video has emerged which can give us a clue. —Satinder Singh, SSP, Jalandhar RuralSatinder Singh, SSP, Jalandhar Rural, said: “There were reportedly about 500 farmers at the site. We have so far not been able to trace the culprits. No such video has emerged which can give us a clue.”Farmers said they had gathered to express their resentment with the SAD over its decision to go ahead with a massive rally and for making election announcements especially when farmers had just been killed in Lakhimpur Kheri.“SAD should have at least waited for this issue to get resolved. Our community has come to express anger here,” said Jaspal Singh, a member of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal).Farmers, who were raising slogans of Kirti Kisan Union, had even got placards especially designed for the event. One placard read “Akali Dal pehlan haq vich, ajj virodh vich kyon?” (why was Akali Dal in favour of the Farm Act earlier and now opposing it?).There were several placards asking political leaders to shun electioneering till the issue was resolved. One placard read “Votan baad vich, pehlan kisan-mazdoor de sangharsh di jitt zaroori” (priority should be given to strengthening farmers’ protest, electioneering can follow suit).Chief spokesperson of BKU (Rajewal) Kashmir Singh said: “We have already told the political parties that they must shun politics till the elections are announced as every Punjabi’s priority should be to strengthen the farmer morcha in Delhi. But political leaders are going ahead with their own vested agenda, which we were trying to oppose today.”Not all placards carried messages over farm issues, as there was another placard that questioned the SAD leadership over withdrawing blasphemy case against Sirsa Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Sukhbir Badal said he had been urging farmers to shift their focus against the BJP and not indulge in protests against those who already had been supporting their morcha.

The Tribune

2021-10-10