Kamal Gupta. (Photo: Twitter @drkamalguptabjp) The Haryana Police “rescued” Hisar BJP MLA Kamal Gupta who was allegedly gheraoed by agitating farmers in the town for nearly 30 minutes. He was gheraoed at the meeting of the farmers at the government guest house Monday evening. A staffer of the MLA, accompanying the legislator, alleged that Gupta was “roughed up and made hostage” by the agitators while the latter claimed that Gupta “manhandled them after trying to instigate them.”
The protesting farmers were holding a meeting at Hisar’s PWD Guest House to decide their next strategy after four farmers were among eight killed by a convoy of SUVs, including one owned by Union MoS, at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.
Sanjeev Saroha, personal assistant of the MLA, said, “We were not aware that any meeting was taking place there. When we entered the guest house, the angry farmers gheraoed the MLA, pushed and manhandled him after shutting the doors of the guest house. During this episode, the shirt of the MLA was torn. They kept raising slogans. I made phone calls and the police reached the spot.”
Purported visuals of the incident show a senior farmer leader Sube Singh trying to pacify the agitators inside the hall as they raised slogans calling the MLA a ‘thief.’ Subsequently, a team led by Hisar DIG Balwan Singh Rana reached the spot, ‘rescuing’ the MLA. The visuals showed the policemen forming a circle around Gupta to escort him out of the hall and briefly detaining some protesters.
Local farmer leader Kuldeep Kharar said, “We had already announced to stage protests against the leaders of BJP as part of our agitation as we have announced their social boycott over the issue of three farm laws. Kamal Gupta came to our meeting just to instigate the farmers there. He roughed up the farmers. He wanted to cause riots. The farmers will gherao his residence on Wednesday if he does not tender apology.”
Earlier in the day, farmers across different parts of Haryana staged protests in front of the DC offices to express their anger over the episode at Lakhimpur Kheri. Farmer groups also condemned the detention of senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni who was enroute Lakhimpur Kheri Monday.
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