Farmers Movement Archive

Once a bridge between govt and farmers, 2 BJP leaders lose out on trust

Bathinda: When the central government was not listening to farmers, BJP leader and Punjab former minister Surjit Kumar Jyani earned praise from farmers when he raised the voice against his own party government on November 4, 2020 for not reaching out to farmers and looking into miseries of the protesters. The utterances made the difference and the government started the dialogue route by involving Jyani and another BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal, but as the talks progressed, both Jyani and Grewal started going down in the eyes of the farmers when they started using harsh words for farmers while asking them not to stick to repeal demand, but move forward. Grewal had said the farm leaders had been residing in 5 star hotels in Delhi, leaving farmers in the trolleys in the biting cold. On January 10, 2021, the flash point reached when the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) took note of their utterances and called for social boycott of Jayani and Grewal, while asking farmers to oppose their entry into Punjab. It was said that these leaders crossed the limits by levelling false allegations against farmer leaders. A call was given, restraining farmers from taking land of Grewal on lease or face boycott too. Large rallies were held at villages of Grewal and Jyani by BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). Jayani and Grewal termed it a Talibani order issued by those frustrated. Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh though were not part of the group of ministers holding talks with farmers, they kept on playing a part from behind the scene. Rajnath Singh had talked to farm leaders on phone after BJP leader Surjit Kumar Jyani and Harjit Grewal had met him. Amit Shah too had talked on phone with BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugraghan in the beginning of protest before he had a meeting with farmers on December 8, 2020.

The Times of India

2021-11-27

Chandigarh