Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers block Som Parkash’s route to BJP event venue

Hoshiarpur, December 25Hoshiarpur MP and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash had to change his route to reach the venue to attend a function organised by the BJP on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday here on Friday.Earlier, the event was to be held by the BJP in the Shastri Market area but later the venue was shifted to the Valmik janj ghar. When the protesters came to know that the function would not be held at the district BJP office (Shastri Market), they marched towards the Valmik janj ghar at Bahadurpur, the new venue of the function. The minister had to pass streets to reach the venue.As the farmers approached near the venue, they were stopped by the police personnel but they were adamant that they would not let them hold the function. Hoshiarpur SSP Navjot Singh Mahal rushed to the spot and tried to persuade the protesting farmers. The farmers then staged a dharna at Bahadurpur Chowk and raised slogans against the BJP. They said the BJP leaders would be opposed till the agriculture laws were repealed.They said the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre was bullying the farmers which would not be tolerated at any cost. Meanwhile, the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry wound up his speech in a few minutes and left the venue.Gurdeep Singh Khun Khun, Harbans Singh, Gurmesh Singh, Gurnam Singh Singriwal, Dr Majhail Singh, Parminder Singh Sajjan and others were leading the farmers on the occasion.Effigy burntThe farmers’ movement is gaining momentum with each passing day here. Protests, songs, poetry, nukkad nataks, and what not! It’s almost 30 days and not only in Delhi, Punjab’s every district is witnessing protest by the farmers. On Friday, the farmers of Kirti Kisan Union burnt an effigy of Som Parkash, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, at Daulatpur village in Nawanshahr. The farmers along with members of the Physically Handicapped Association marched in the village by holding the effigy of Som Parkash and then burnt it.The members of the unions said that the minister was not supportive of the movement and was not speaking well of the farmers who are taking part actively in the movement. “The place has been chosen because the minister belongs to this village,” Surinder Singh Bains, district president of the Kirti Kisan Union said. Amolak Singh, president, Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch, who had spent more than 15 days with farmers protesting at Singhu and Tikri borders, is organising nukkad nataks to make people aware of the issue. Several poems and songs are also being written for the farmers.Tributes paid to VajpayeeHearty tributes were paid to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary here on Friday. Under district president Sushil Sharma, an event was organised at the Jalandhar North constituency, mandal number 2, wherein floral tributes were paid to Vajpayee by garlanding his photo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to farmers was also heard across 13 mandals in Jalandhar virtually. BJP leaders Anil Kala, Rajesh Mohan, Anuj Sharda, Vinod Saini, and Vijay Gulati were also present.

The Tribune

2020-12-26