Former cricketer and actor Yograj Singh, father of ex-cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has joined the ongoing farmers’ protests. He was seen giving provocative speeches among the farmers challenging PM Modi and HM Shah to show guts and come among farmers alone.
Yograj Singh justifies “Indira thok di…” comment
Speaking to a local Punjabi news channel Rozana Spokesmen, Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh justified death threat to PM Modi. When the anchor asked him about the statements made by the farmers wishing the death of PM Modi, Yograj tried to justify them by saying, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
He said in the end, it is the fight of the sentiments. There is nothing wrong with making such statements. Pointing out to PM Modi, he said that the government should not make any statements that may divide the people of India. During the current agitation, a Sikh farmer from Punjab had said that if we can kill Indira, we could kill Modi as well.
He further accused central government of carrying out ‘atrocities’ worse than those carried out by barbaric invaders like Babur, Aurangzeb and the British. Comparing PM Modi with the devil, he said, “I have seen him [PM Modi] and other leaders in the central government. Their faces look like the face of the devil.”
Speaking in Punjabi, he said, ‘PM Modi may not know that devil and God are not on good terms. He has brought his life to the point where people will treat his, his cabinet ministers, and RSS leaders’ graves just like they treat the graves of Aurangzeb. They will burn borrowed lamps and spit on the graves. Does the Prime Minister want his life to be like that?’
Singh threatened PM Modi and said the border of Delhi is sealed. “If they open the borders and the situation comes to a clash, I challenge PM Modi to remove CRPF, BSF, Army, and Police and come alone. Then we will see how things go ahead,” the said.
He further threatened, “I want to remind you that Punjabis have conquered Delhi 18 times. It can be conquered 19th time. Don’t push us to that point. The stock of your bullets will burnout, but the Punjabis who are ready to face the bullets will keep coming. If you shoot even a single bullet, the way Mughals were rooted out, the countdown of your government will begin.”
Threatening Home Minister Amit Shah, he said, who knows how many days he has left. He alleged that the HM Shah had removed Sikh security guards from his security. He challenged Shah to bring Adani and Ambani as they are his friends to Punjab then we will see how they will go back.
‘Everyone here is a ‘Jarnail’’
In another video, Yograj was seen giving another provocative statement. While targeting PM Modi for being Gujarati, he said he had spent 15 years with Gujaratis in Mumbai. “These people would take a u-turn even if they swore on their mothers, sisters, and daughters,” he said.
Mentioning separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Yograj urged the farmers to raise another Bhindranwale amongst themselves. “Every person here is a ‘Jarnail.’ If you want to save Punjab, ensure that power is in your hands. If the power is in your hand, you will see a new sun rising from the land of Punjab,” he said.
Delhi farmers’ agitation
Since new farmers’ laws were notified after President’s approval, the farmers especially in the state of Punjab are agitating against them calling them anti-farmers. Some of the Farmers’ Unions’ leaders alleged that the government is planning to end MSP and Mandi system. They also alleged that government is helping corporate and they will take away farmers’ lands. Such misinformation has been refuted not only by the union ministers but also by the Prime Minister on several occasions. It was also found that the government has been trying to talk to the farmers for the last two months, but they denied all the requests.
Not only are some of the protestors completely clueless about the reason behind protests, some are not even farmers. Moreover, Bharat Kisan Union, one of foremost Farmers’ union had last year asked to end the Mandi system and allow the open sale of the crop. Now that the government has taken a step in that direction, same union is opposing it for political gains.
Further, the celebrity protestors have now hijacked the protest. The entry of “Shaheen Bagh’s dadi,” Yogendra Yadav, Khalistani supporters, opposition parties, and Bheem Army Chief and others in the protest is raising more questions over the actual motive behind the agitation. Reports have suggested that people living close the Delhi borders are facing problems in arranging food, water and medical care due to these protests.