Monthly Archives: August 2018

Chandigarh, January 27

Given China’s long-standing expansionist agenda, the IndianGovernment should have a clear and well-defined policy on its hostile neighbour, CM Capt Amarinder Singh said on Wednesday, warning that talks with Beijing alone would not lead anywhere.

While he hoped India got the better of China in the latest skirmish at Naku La on January 20, the CM, himself an ex-Army man, said India needs to improve and strengthen its military might. This incident, after the Galwan valley, shows that China hasn’t backed off, and has no intention to do so, from its expansionist policy.

The need for a strong military in the face of such threat at the border cannot be over-emphasised, he said. — TNS

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 27

Despite being shunned by farmer unions at various stages of the ongoing agitation, actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu had been attempting to take a leadership role in the movement for the past many months.

A day ahead of the tractor march by farmer unions, he was seen campaigning on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi. The position taken by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which is not part of the 32 farmer organisations, of not sticking to the original route, along with the BKU (Krantikari), gave Deep Sidhu the opportunity to create trouble.

Shameful & unfortunate: Village panch

Deep Sidhu has been misleading farmers, especially youngsters, ever since the protest began. His yesterday’s act is shameful and unfortunate. Jagdeep Singh, panchayat member of actor’s native Udekaran village

On Monday, a group led by Deep Sidhu took over the main stage at Singhu, and along with gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, announced they would hold the march “inside Delhi”. “They formed a five-member committee as well,” said Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, vice-president, Kirti Kisan Union.

They had a plan ready by Tuesday morning. “They started a march of their own much before the official one began, and positioned their ‘henchmen’ in large numbers at a road turning towards central Delhi. From there, they directed other tractors towards the Red Fort,” said farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal.

Volunteers deputed by the unions did try to intervene, but they were outnumbered. “I tried to request them not to do that but they insulted me as well,” said Rajewal.

Around a month ago, during a meeting of the 32 farmer unions, one of the leaders had termed Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana as “enemies of this struggle”.

During the last Lok Sabha elections, Deep Sidhu was campaigning for BJP’s Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol, and had even posed with PM Narendra Modi. He was accused of being an “RSS agent” by farmer unions in Punjab.

The ‘Shambu morcha’, as the actor called it, had been receiving “live streaming” support from some pro-Khalistan channels.

Around two weeks ago he wrote to the unions, expressing his desire to get associated with their platforms. However, the plea was rejected.

Meanwhile, Deep Sidhu posted a video on his Facebook page, saying, “We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest.”

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 27 

Punjabi actor-singer Deep Sidhu, who has been blamed for instigating protesters and leading them to the iconic Red Fort and hoisting flags, had been summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as “witness” last week as part of the agency’s investigation into a case against Sikhs for Justice, officials said on Wednesday.

The officials added that till now no fresh action has been initiated against Sidhu.

Also read: Punjab should boycott traitors Deep Sidhu, Satnam Pannu, Sarwan Pandher: Rajewal

The officials in the agency said, in December the NIA had registered a case against Sikhs for Justice for funding “the anti-India movement in the county and abroad” and had also issued notices to Sidhu and his brother Mandeep Singh.

Giving details about 36-year-old Sidhu’s background, officials said, as far as they know he is considered to be close to Sikh ideologue Ajmer Singh, as he practised law before joining the show business in 2015.

Sidhu also did a Facebook live while hoisting the flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In the video, Sidhu said in Punjabi, “We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag on the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest.”

Also read: Red Fort video surfaces, farmers chase away Deep Sidhu after saffron flag is hoisted

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Officials further said, like others, the notices to Deep Sidhu and his brother were served under Section 160 of the CrPC to call them as witnesses in the case, as those who are being summoned appeared acquainted with the circumstances of the case and asked them to appear before the investigating officer (IO) for examination.

Sources in the know of the case said the probe is based on a suspicious transaction report (STR) compiled by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and was shared with the NIA. They said the report observed abnormalities in banking transactions in the past three-four months.

Also read:

Farmer leaders Rajewal, Ugrahan, Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav, Chudhni named in FIRs for Delhi violence

Punjab should boycott traitors Deep Sidhu, Satnam Pannu, Sarwan Pandher, says Rajewal

Delhi Police register 22 FIRs for violence during tractor parade

Farmer unions to review call of march to Parliament; agitation to continue peacefully: Yogendra Yadav

Security heightened at Red Fort, Singhu border

Traffic remains affected at Delhi’s ITO, several roads closed

Important to respect peaceful protests: UN chief’s spokesman on farmers’ stir

‘Whole world is laughing at us’: Kangana asks Diljit Dosanjh, Priyanka Chopra to explain farmers’ violence

No fresh summons, NIA sent notice to Deep Sidhu in SFJ case last week: officials

Tarn Taran, January 27

The family of a young Punjab man, who was accused of hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort during a farmers’ protest on Republic Day, said Wednesday he was innocent as he climbed up the flagpole after a fellow protester asked him to do so.

Mehal Singh said his grandson Jugraj had gone to the Delhi border with a group of farmers for participating in the farmers’ agitation and the tractor parade Tuesday against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

There was a massive outrage after a religious flag was hoisted at the Red Fort during the tractor rally.

Mehal, a resident of village Vaan Tara Singh here, said Jugraj had no intention to hoist the ‘Nishan Sahib’, a symbol of Sikh religion, at the Red Fort.

“A fellow protester asked him (Jugraj) to climb the flagpole after others could not do so. Jugraj then agreed to climb up the flagpole to hoist the flag,” Mehal said about his grandson. “He is innocent.” He expressed fear that the police would now conduct raids at their house to catch the young man.

Jugraj is son of Baldev Singh who has three other children. The family owns 3 acres of farmland in the village.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, had clashed with police and had entered the national capital from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort.

After entering the Red Fort, protesters put up the ‘Nishan Sahib’ and a farmer flag on a flagpole, which triggered massive outrage across the country.

The ‘Nishan Sahib’ flag, a symbol of Sikh religion, is seen at all Gurdwara complexes. PTI

New Delhi, January 27

As cracks began to appear in their ongoing agitation against the agri laws, farmer unions on Wednesday cancelled their planned march to Parliament on February 1 when the Budget would be presented.

The decision by farmer unions came a day after massive violence during their tractor parade in the national capital that left nearly 400 police personnel injured.

The farmer leaders, however, alleged that there was a conspiracy behind Tuesday’s incidents and demanded a probe.

They said their agitation against the farm laws will continue and public meetings and hunger strikes will be held across the country on January 30.

“The tractor parade was hit by a government conspiracy. Deep Sidhu is an RSS man. Police let him go after he hoisted a religious flag at Red Fort,” farmer leader Darshan Pal, who has been accused by police of making inflammatory speeches, alleged at a press conference.

Sidhu is a former aide of actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol. Deol had distanced himself from Sidhu in December after he supported the farmers’ agitation.

“We have cancelled our plan for a march to Parliament on budget day on February 1. But our agitation will continue and there will be public meetings and hunger strike across the country on January 30,” Pal said.

Another farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal claimed that over two lakh tractors and lakhs of people participated in Tuesday’s parade and “99.9 per cent of the protesters were peaceful”.

Even as the farmer unions continued to allege that “anti-social” elements had perpetrated the violence to “torpedo” their peaceful agitation against the farm laws, Tuesday’s incidents that have been widely condemned started taking a toll with Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee withdrawing from the protests on the Delhi’s borders.

Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, who has been supporting the farmers’ agitation, said, “We regret the Red Fort incident and accept its moral responsibility. The incident should be probed. There is a conspiracy behind it.”

Responding to a question on farmer leaders being named in FIR, Yadav said, “FIR, jail and torture are rewards of movements”.

“We have video clippings and we will expose how a conspiracy was hatched to defame our movement,” Shivkumar Kakka said.

As many as 37 farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh Charuni, have been named in an FIR in connection with the violence during the tractor parade.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort during the Republic Day.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.  PTI

Chandigarh, January 27

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday alleged AAP’s role in the violence at the Red Fort during the Republic Day tractor parade, and said the party got “exposed” as one of its “members” was seen at the monument with a flag.

He dubbed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a “traitor” to the farmers’ cause, and alleged that one Amrik Singh Micky, who was present at the Red Fort and later posted his picture with alleged provocative slogan in Facebook, was officially inducted into the party.

Jakhar rejected AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha’s claim that his party had no connection to Micky.

The Congress leader claimed Micky’s Facebook page shows him being inducted into the party by Jarnail Singh, a Punjab AAP leader, in the presence of their national spokesperson Sanjay Singh on January 8, 2020.

A video is also available on Jarnail Singh’s Facebook page, the PPCC chief said, adding that Amrik’s page also shows a picture of him unofficially being inducted into the AAP by Jarnail Singh on December 29, 2019.In a statement, Jakhar claimed it was now “clearly proven” that AAP members “incited” the Delhi violence, “in collusion with the BJP”, and demanded strict penal action.

He also urged the Election Commission to derecognise the “party of goons, criminals and liars”.Arvind Kejriwal and his party had also lost all rights to continue in office in Delhi after this, said the PPCC president.

The Delhi chief minister who had been quick to implement one of the farm laws days before the farmers began their march to Delhi in November 2020, was “clearly” working on the directives of the BJP to “weaken and malign” the farmers’ fight for justice, Jakhar claimed.

If Micky is indeed a BJP member, as claimed by Raghav Chadha, then the Facebook videos and picture clearly indicate a “complicity” between the AAP and the BJP, alleged Jakhar.

Jakhar said it had become abundantly evident that both AAP and BJP “collectively engineered the infiltration of miscreants and anti-social elements” into the farmers’ protest to “incite” the violence that triggered mayhem on the streets of the national capital and brought shame to the nation. — PTI

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 26

Major opposition parties on Tuesday united against the government blaming its insensitivity for the capital siege by farmers on Tuesday and demanded immediate repeal of the farm laws that have agitated the protesters for over 61 days now.

The Congress, NCP and Trinamool Congress led the charge against the BJP government and termed the developments in Delhi as “painful”.

While the Congress said there was no place for violence in a democracy, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said the developments in Delhi were worrying and painful.

NCP’s Sharad Pawar too laid the blame at the Centre’s doors asking why the government could not secure the capital and anticipate the violence.

CPM’s Sitaram Yechury slammed the Centre for mishandling the farmers’ issues and said the Republic is of the public and the tantra (establishment) in Ganatantra has no meaning without the gana (people).

“The farmers’ protests are for a legitimate demand of millions. That remains the issue at hand and must be resolved,” Yechury said adding that violence in any form is unacceptable.

All opposition stalwarts went on to seek the repeal of farm laws blaming today’s developments in the “undemocratic passage of the legislations”.

Congress’ media chief Randeep Surjewala asked the protesters to keep their goals in mind welcoming Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s decisions to dissociate from violent elements.

“Non-violence is the biggest strength of the farmer agitation. We hope that this farmer-labourer alliance will remain committed to peaceful means for the repeal of the anti-agriculture laws,” said Surjewala asking the government if it was justified in holding inconclusive talks with farmer leaders without ever heeding to their demands of repeal.

“It is clear that the people are anguished with the government and the 61-day-old face-off between the people and the system is not good for our democracy. The abiding message of the Republic Day is that the government must listen to the people, shun its arrogance and rescind the laws,” said the Congress general secretary referring to the 61-day peaceful farmer’s agitation and the death of 175 farmers in the process.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the government had been extremely casual in dealing with the farmers and must repeal the laws now.

That said, the opposition remains in a wait and watch mode and is hoping the agitation redeems its reputation as peaceful and genuine, as the Budget Session of Parliament approaches.

All eyes are on the morchas parked at Delhi’s borders to see if they can tame the unruly elements that have infiltrated the protests. This remains a challenge after Samyukta Kisan Morcha failed miserably in ensuring a peaceful tractor parade today.

Although the Morcha abruptly called off the tractor parade this evening, the question everyone was asking is who is listening to them.

The police released a list of 41 personnel injured in the clashes with the farmers and has begun assessing losses on persons and of property.

Farm unions for their part returned to the borders tonight to mull what went wrong and how to reclaim the narrative.