New Delhi: After alleging a Khalistani agenda behind the farmers’ protest, a number of BJP leaders are now claiming that the “tukde-tukde gang” is trying to turn the demonstrations into Shaheen Bagh-like protests, referring to the sit-ins Delhi witnessed last year against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
‘Tukde-tukde gang’ is a moniker that emerged in light of the 2016 JNU sedition controversy, with sections of the Right wing using the phrase to describe students they accuse of raising anti-India slogans at a demonstration to mark Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s death anniversary.
Those who have invoked the phrase in the context of the farmers’ protest include former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and former Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.
“The kind of slogans that were raised at Delhi’s latest farmers movement and the manner in which it is being run on the Shaheen Bagh model clearly show that the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ and anti-CAA forces have left no stone unturned to hijack the movement,” Modi tweeted Wednesday.
दिल्ली के ताजा किसान आंदोलन में जिस तरह के नारे लगे और जिस तरह से इसे शाहीनबाग मॉडल पर चलाया जा रहा है, उससे साफ है कि किसानों के बीच टुकड़े-टुकड़े गैंग और सीएए-विरोधी ताकतों ने हाईजैक करने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी।
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) December 2, 2020
He added that 90 per cent of the country’s farmers are confident that the Prime Minister — who “has given them benefits ranging from soil health cards and neem-coated urea to Kisan Samman Yojana” — will never harm the farmers. “The opposition’s untruth will be defeated,” he added.
देश के 90 फीसद किसानों को भरोसा है कि जिस प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें स्वायल हेल्थ कार्ड और नीम लेपित यूरिया से लेकर किसान सम्मान योजना तक के लाभ दिये, वे कभी किसानों का अहित नहीं करेंगे।
विपक्ष का असत्य पराजित होगा।— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) December 2, 2020
BJP MP Tiwari accused the “tukde-tukde gang” of hijacking the movement too. In a statement, he said the alleged slogans raised in favour of Khalistan and the “threats issued to the Prime Minister by some protesters among the farmers” provide “ample proof” that the protests are part of a well-planned conspiracy aimed at creating unrest in the country.
“The presence of individuals and groups who opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAA at Shaheen Bagh, involvement of Shaheen Bagh dadi clearly establishes that the ‘tukde-tukde’ gang is trying to experiment with Shaheen Bagh 2.0 and create unrest under the guise of farmers’ protest,” he said.
‘Khalistan angle’
Last week, some members of the BJP had also alleged that the Khalistani agenda is being propagated under the garb of the Punjab farmers’ agitation, accusing the Congress — which is in office in Punjab, where the protest against the farm laws originated — of aligning with radical elements.
On 27 November, BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya had tweeted a purported video of protesting farmers where a man is heard citing PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination in an apparent bid to threaten PM Modi should discussions with the government fail to resolve their grievances against the farm laws.
BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh made a similar allegation on 29 November.
Farmers protests co opt @medhanarmada , @_YogendraYadav , AAP Party leaders , forces from abroad who are supporters of Khalistan movement . It will be good to farmers to understand the design & become wiser . Don’t allow farmers to become guinea pigs for anarchist designs .
— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) November 29, 2020
However, speaking to ThePrint, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had sought to play down the allegations. Asked about the allegations, he said, “The Government of India sees them as farmers. We have invited them and are engaging with them.”
Several farmers’ organisations, especially in Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the three farm laws passed by Parliament earlier this year.
The three farm laws are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. While the government pitches them as major reforms aimed at empowering farmers, several farmers’ bodies have said they undermine their interests. One of the farmers’ major demands is that MSP be made a legal provision to assure a better price to farmers.
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