Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 22

While Punjab has been a witness to such scenes, in the BJP’s bastion of western Uttar Pradesh also saffron leaders are facing resistance in their attempts to “reach-out” to their support base, especially Jats in rural areas.

The historic Sauram or Shoram village in Muzaffarnagar today witnessed clashes between villagers and leaders/supporters of BJP during a visit of Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan.

According to Prof Sudhir Panwar several farmers suffered injuries during the clash.

“What we were suspecting has started happening,” said Panwar, a Samajwadi Party leader from Bhainswal (Shamli).

According to BKU’s Dharmendra Malik, the head of ‘Jawla khap’ Sachin Chaudhary “refused” to meet Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan “who was trying to get in touch with him at the behest of Home Minister Amit Shah”.

In a video posted by Malik, Chaudhary can be heard saying that “no one from the ruling BJP should try to meet him individually. They should meet the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and their decision will be final (regarding the agitation against the three farm laws)”.

Panwar, a Samajwadi Party leader from Bhainswal (Shamli) which “resisted/banned” the entry of Balyan, UP Cabinet minister Bhupendra Chaudhary and Shamli MLA Tejinder Nirwal yesterday, says farmers of western UP are upset due to “BJP’s attempts to divide the agitation on the basis of caste and Jats”.

Bhainswal is headquarter of 32 villages khaps. The February 5 ‘mahapanchayat’ there in opposition of farm laws saw the participation of members of non-Jat, Dalits and Muslims along with Jats.

“In a democracy every person has the right to expression, therefore ban on entry of leaders of a particular party is not the democratic way but people are angry,” says Panwar.

The support to farmers’ agitation from “non-Jats and Muslims” is threatening to upset the saffron party’s carefully crafted caste equations on the back of which it had been winning elections in the state.

After the 2013 Muzzafarnagar riots, western UP region witnessed a deep polarisation with Hindu Jats, non-Jats, and Dalits gravitating towards the BJP.

Speaking as an independent observer, Prof Panwar explains that BKU leader Rakesh Tikait and RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary are both Jats and most of ‘mahapanchayats’ have been in and around Jat-dominated districts.

“BJP’s Jat leaders have been asked to use their influence in dousing the agitation through the “Khaps’ informal social leadership”.

The BJP’s strategy is two pronged — reduce and brand farmers’ agitation as Jat agitation so that other rural castes associated with it because of economic reasons feel isolated as seen during the reservation agitation in Haryana. The second is to divide Jats along party line in the backdrop of RLD and Congress’ ‘mahapanchayats’.

However, people in villages are angry and this strategy is unlikely to succeed as agitation is not limited to Jats,” says Panwar.

The central leadership has asked Jat leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to reach out to the community at the ‘khap’ levels and ensure that “they do not feel alienated from the BJP”.

Karnal: The combined annual training camp number 2 Coy (I) NCC Sainik School, Kunjpura, concluded on Monday. Chief guest Brigadier AS Berar, VSM Group Commander NCC, Group Head Quarter, Ambala, and guest of honour Col VD Chandola Principal, graced the occasion. Brig Berar facilitated best performers of the camp in various activities.

New Delhi, February 23

A Delhi court Tuesday sent actor-activist Deep Sidhu to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day during farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three new agri laws.

Sidhu was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Samarjeet Kaur on expiry of his 7-day police custody. He was produced before the magistrate in Tihar Jail, where he is currently lodged.

The court had first sent Sidhu to police custody on February 9 for seven days, after the police alleged he was one of the main instigators of the violent incidents at the Red Fort. His custody was further extended by seven days on February 16.

Read also: Delhi violence accused Lakha Sidhana addresses rally in Bathinda; leaves on motorbike

The police had said there are videos where Sidhu can be allegedly seen to be present at the site of the incident.

“He was instigating the crowd. He was also one of the main rioters. Several social media accounts need to be searched to identify the co-conspirators. Also his permanent address is given as Nagpur but several places need to be visited in Punjab and Haryana to unearth further details.

“He can be seen coming out with the person who hoisted the flag and congratulating him. He came out and gave speeches in loud hailers and provoked the crowd there. He was the main instigator. He instigated the crowd due to which violence occurred. Several policemen were injured in the violence,” police had alleged.

Sidhu’s counsel, however, had claimed he had nothing to do with the violence and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sidhu has been arrested for several offences under the Indian Penal Code, including rioting (147 and 148), unlawful assembly (149), attempt to murder (120-B), criminal conspiracy (120-B), assaulting or obstructing public servant (152), dacoity (395), culpable homicide (308) and disobedience to order promulgated by public servant (188).

He has also been arrested under sections of the Arms Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

The police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Sidhu’s arrest.

Tens of thousands of protesting farmers clashed with the police in the national capital on January 26 during a tractor parade to highlight their demands.

Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was also hoisted. Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protester died.

In the FIR registered in connection with the Red Fort violence, police alleged two magazines with 20 live cartridges were snatched from two constables by protesters who also damaged vehicles and robbed anti-riot gear. PTI

Our Correspondent

Abohar/Sriganganagar, Feb 23

In less than three hours of its opening, a toll plaza was forcibly shut down by farmers when the contractors started collecting toll for the newly constructed Raisinghnagar-Anupgarh-Gharsana highway under the Bharatmala Project.

The farmers staged a dharna and raised slogans against the three farm laws. A Jaipur-based company has been awarded the contract for toll collection on the highway for three months. Project partner Surinder Pareek, a BJP leader and former sarpanch of Netewala village, claimed the NHAI had directed the company to collect toll from vehicles from today. The company opened its counters to collect the toll at 8 am, but the recovery had to be stopped after some farmers reached there.

Ranjit Singh Raju, convener of the Gramin Kisan Mazdoor Samiti and other leaders reportedly posted an audio message for farmers as soon as they learnt about the opening of the plaza. Soon, farmers led by Sheopat Ram Meghwal, a member of the national executive of the All India Kisan Sabha, arrived at the plaza. They interacted with operators and employees of the company and it was agreed that till the farmers’ agitation continues, no toll would be charged.

New Delhi, February 23

Agitating farmer union on Tuesday objected to Delhi Police putting posters that allegedly warned off protesters at the Tikri border site, even as the force claimed these were not new and only informed the protesters that they would not be allowed to enter the national capital.

In a statement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions that is spearheading the ongoing agitation against the three agri laws, said it is opposed to the police’s move as the protesters were exercising their constitutional right and appealed to the farmers to continue their sit-in peacefully.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — for nearly 90 days, demanding a complete repeal of the three agri laws and a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price for crops.

“The Delhi Police has placed some posters at the Tikri border protest site where farmers have been warned that they will have to vacate the area. Such posters are irrelevant as farmers have been staging a peaceful protest by exercising their constitutional rights….

“We will oppose the conspiracy to end the protest with these kinds of threats and warnings,” the SKM said in the statement.

In the posters, the police have not given any deadline to the protesting farmers to vacate the area.

On its part, the Delhi Police said it is a “routine” process.

“The posters were pasted at the border area after the protest started. It is a routine exercise. Police have conveyed to them through posters that they are sitting in the jurisdiction of Haryana and they are not allowed to enter the national capital unlawfully,” a senior police officer said.

Thousands of protesters had clashed with the police during a tractor parade called by the agitating farmer unions on January 26.

After police permitted the rally, many protesters deviated from the agreed route and reached the Red Fort on tractors. They entered the monument and some of them even hoisted religious flags at the ramparts.

The government has projected the three farm laws as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehensions that these laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and scrap the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The Centre has maintained that the MSP and mandi systems will continue and will also be strengthened. PTI