BATHINDA: Angry over defamatory remarks against protesting farmers made by many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, half-a-dozen Punjab farmers, who are also members of Aam Aadmi Party, have since December sent legal notices to many BJP leaders. The AAP on Saturday offered farmers-cum-political activists legal support in carrying forward their fight.
Farmer Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, from Amritsar district, was upset over assertions made by Union minister Giriraj Singh, and sent him a legal notice seeking an unconditional apology for his remarks made on December 12. Dhaliwal, who is associated with the kisan wing of AAP, told TOI said that Giriraj Singh had alleged the farmers were being misled. He had also claimed that many forces from foreign countries had entered the farmers’ movement and had also drawn a link with Khalistan.
Similarly, Gurinder Singh Warring, a farmer and AAP activist from Machhri Khurd village in Fatehgarh Sahib district, sent a notice to BJP’s Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan. He told TOI that Ravi Kishan had falsely alleged that the farmers are getting financial support from China and Pakistan. “He tried to mislead the country and defame the protest,” said Warring.
“Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel on December 18 had said in the name of farmers, anti-national elements and Khalistanis had sneaked into the agitation. Taking it very seriously, I have sent a legal notice to him seeking unconditional apology and withdrawal of his remarks,” said farmer Ramneek Singh Randhawa from Jalandhar.
Another farmer and AAP member Mohinder Singh Sidhu from Sheron in Sunam tehsil of Sangrur, who grows chillies, said, “I have sent a legal notice to BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav for his statement that the farmer protests were being funded by Khalistanis, which is totally wrong.”
Jiwanjot Kaur from Amritsar and Chetan Singh from Patiala have sent legal notices to people for their utterances against the farmers’ struggle. Jiwanjot Kaur told TOI that she had sent a legal notice to actress Kangna Ranaut for using derogatory words for farm activist Mohinder Kaur.
AAP co-in-charge for Punjab Raghav Chadha said in Moga that his party will provide legal assistance to the farmers who want to move court against the BJP leaders for their defamatory remarks.
“The notices have been issued to Union minister Giriraj Singh, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel and BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and some others. The BJP leaders have at different times described the farmers as anti-nationals, goondas and dalals. The false and frivolous propaganda against the farmers was unbecoming on the part of those behind the propaganda,” Chadha said.