Chandigarh: Suspecting that a “major conspiracy” is afoot to fail the farmers’ agitation at the Singhu and Tikri borders in Delhi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to rush in their workers at the two spots so they can stand by the farmers.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh Saturday, senior Akali leader and MLA Bikram Singh Majithia said the manner in which the BJP at the Centre had “indulged in state repression” through the Delhi Police Friday was a grim reminder of what the Congress had done in 1984 in the national capital using the same police.
Majithia said the events of the past two-three days around the two protest sites smacked off of “ill-intentioned planning” by the NDA government, which is “stooping extremely low” to try and fail the agitation.
“But this agitation will not fail and will continue,” he said.
Farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been camping for over two months at the Tikri and Singhu borders, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws brought in by the Narendra Modi government in September.
Displaying pictures and videos of the alleged clashes between the farmers and Delhi Police at Singhu border Friday, Majithia said a 22-year-old youth, who was projected as having attacked a police man with a sword, was actually been dragged out by the police from inside the farmers’ camp and beaten up before he tried to use his kirpan in self-defence.
Through the video of the clash, Majithia explained that the youth identified as Ranjit Singh, resident of Kajampur village in Nawanshahr, Punjab, was wearing the complete dress of a “gursikh” (baptised Sikh) when he was singled out and dragged by the police.
“At least 10 to 15 policemen beat him up even as he fell on the ground. They were kicking him, using their lathis on him. It was not a lathi-charge as was projected on television, it was just one man being mercilessly beaten with lathis by the police,” he said.
SAD plans to help fight cases of these youths legally
Relating the case of another youth of Pandher village, Majithia said he has been on duty for the past two months serving langar and was severely injured in the clash.
Majithia said that apart from Akali workers, who will be positioned at the two borders, the party has also drawn up a team of lawyers to help fight the cases of these youths legally.
He demanded filing of criminal cases against Delhi Police officials and BJP ‘goons’, who attacked the farmer camp at Singhu.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded that the Punjab government provide police security to the farmers at the Delhi borders.
Addressing a press conference, AAP’s national spokesperson and Punjab unit co-incharge Raghav Chadha said the BJP ‘goons’ were attacking farmers in a bid to intimidate them to vacate the protest sites.
“It has proved the intention of the BJP, that they will attack the farmers, intimidate them and create disturbance in the farmers’ movement. With this, there is a clear safety and security threat to the farmers,” he said.
“Under such circumstances, we cannot expect Delhi Police to protect our farmers and thus with full responsibility, we demand Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to provide police security to the farmers at all the borders,” he added.
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