Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 8

Overcoming the smear campaign of being attached with the Khalistan movement, farmer leaders are now engaged in entailing supporters to refrain from rowdy behaviour and liquor consumption in the camps on the Delhi borders at night.

Addressing a rally at the Singhu border yesterday evening, BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said: “I don’t want to talk about the farm laws. I only wanted to request you not to indulge in rowdy behaviour after consuming ‘daaru’.”

BKU (Dakaunda) general secretary Jagmohan Singh Patiala said: “We are aware about the unpleasant behavioural aberration of certain youngsters and are working on it.” BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Shingara Singh Mann said: “These youngsters have come independently. They have no experience in farmer unions’ movements so they lack the expected discipline.”

“I am shocked to see youth loitering aimlessly at night and indulging in rowdy behaviour… They are giving fuel to agencies engaged to tarnish our peaceful movement,” said Rajewal.

“The ones indulging in making noises at night have nothing to do with the farmer movement. Our teams are convincing them of the negative fallout that these could bring to our movement which is now at a crucial stage. It is working,” said Mann.

Patiala said he knew it was a peculiar situation but they were all fighting it out.

Rajewal, in his emotional appeal, said attempts were being made to derail the movement on one pretext or the other, particularly religion. “Everyone today knows that our movement has turned national. The movement, however, is being portrayed by interested parties as only Punjabi. We need to counter the negative publicity,” he said.

Managing the stage at Tikri, Dr Gurdev Singh, said: “It gets difficult when certain people who have nothing to do with the farmer movement come and forcibly occupy the stage. They derail peaceful speeches against the farm laws after provoking religious sentiments or promoting self-interests.”