News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Farmers’ protest: Sedition law cannot be invoked to quieten disquiet, says Delhi court

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has said the law of sedition cannot be invoked to quieten the disquiet under the pretence of muzzling miscreants.

    Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana made the observation while granting bail to two persons – Devi Lal Burdak and Swaroop Ram – arrested by Delhi police earlier this month for allegedly committing sedition and spreading rumours by posting fake video on Facebook during ongoing farmers’ protest.

    The court said that the law of sedition was a powerful tool in the hands of the state to maintain peace and order in society.

    ALSO READ | To drum up support for farmers’ stir, peasant leaders to hold meetings in West Bengal too

    “However, it cannot be invoked to quieten the disquiet under the pretence of muzzling the miscreants. Evidently, law proscribes any act which has a tendency to create disorder or disturbance of public peace by resort to violence,” the judge said in an order passed on February 15 .

    “In the absence of any exhortation, call, incitement or instigation to create disorder or disturbance of public peace by resort to violence or any allusion or oblique remark or even any hint towards this objective, attributable to the accused, I suspect that Section 124 A (sedition) IPC can be validly invoked against the applicant,” the order said.

  • To drum up support for farmers’ stir, peasant leaders to hold meetings in West Bengal too

    By PTI
    ROHTAK: Farmer leaders on Tuesday said they will hold meetings in poll-bound West Bengal as well, with one of them indicating that they will ask people there not to vote for those who are “snatching our livelihood”.

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a farmers’ “mahapanchayat” at Garhi Sampla here, the peasant leaders said like many other states, they will tour West Bengal too shortly.

    Replying to a question, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said, “We will tour the entire nation, we will also go to West Bengal. Farmers in West Bengal are also facing problems. They are not getting good rates for their crops.”

    Addressing the “mahapanchayat”, he said, “We will hold panchayats across the country. We will go to Gujarat, Maharashtra, other places. We will go to West Bengal and hold a big meeting there too. The farmers of West Bengal are facing some issues with the state government as well as the Centre. We will hold a panchayat there as well.”

    ALSO READ | ‘New laws will empower small, marginal farmers’: PM Modi reaches out to protesters yet again

    Asked if the visit would be connected to the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tikait told reporters, “That is not the case, we will go there in connection with farmers’ issues.”

    However, Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni, during his address to the “mahapanchayat”, appealed to people not to cast votes for anyone from panchayat to Parliament if they do not help the protesting farmers and support their agitation.

    “Do not give your vote to them, you may give it to anyone else,” he said.

    Later, talking to reporters along with Tikait and some other farmer leaders, Chaduni said, “As far as West Bengal is concerned, if those from the BJP are defeated, then only our stir will succeed. In West Bengal too, people are dependent on agriculture. We will go there and urge the farmers that those who are snatching our livelihood, do not vote for them.”

    Asked if they are going to West Bengal because the state is going to polls, Chaduni quipped, “We are not going there to help anyone in the election, but we will hold rallies there to awaken the farmers. We will tell the farmers, labourers and common people that these laws are pro-corporates.”

    ALSO READ | Inflation on rise but sugarcane rates stagnant; UP govt owes Rs 12,000 crore to farmers: Rakesh Tikait

    Tikait said the 40 leaders spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s farm laws will tour the entire country to drum up support for the stir.

    He told the gathering earlier that the “panch” (leaders spearheading the stir) and the “manch” (stage) of the agitation will remain the same.

    Later, asked by reporters why he has been asserting in recent days that the Singhu border protest site will remain central to the ongoing farmers’ stir and not the Ghazipur border, Tikait said this was to underline that the “panch” and the “manch” will not change.

    The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border for over two months against the contentious agriculture laws passed by Parliament in September last year.

    Replying to another question, Tikait said, “We are thankful to those who are supporting the stir. But if anyone has done anything against the country, we do not support that.”

    Chaduni said governments are not above people and they will have to accept the demands of the protesting farmers.

    “We have to fight till we get our rights, even if that means fighting till our last breath,” he said.

    Earlier, Tikait and other farmer leaders, including BKU’s Balbir Singh Rajewal from Punjab, paid floral tributes to Sir Chhotu Ram at Garhi Sampla.

  • ‘New laws will empower small, marginal farmers’: PM Modi reaches out to protesters yet again

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: In yet another bid to reach out to the protesting farmers, PM Narendra Modi tried to convince them of the virtues of the three newly-introduced farm laws saying the intent of the reforms to help and empower the small and marginal farmers.

    Modi was addressing a gathering through a video link after laying the foundation stone of the memorial statue of warrior tribal king Maharaja Suheldev on his birth anniversary in Bahraich on Tuesday.

    The PM reiterated that forces with vested political interests were trying to misguide the farmers. 

    “Those who have grabbed the expanses of farmers’ land do not want to see them flourish. They do not want to see the farmers earn more. My government is committed to making every citizen of the country empowered,” said the PM to draw support for the three farm laws over which the farmers have been protesting at the Delhi border with Haryana and UP for the last two and a half months.

    Lamenting that Maharaja Suheldev, the warrior king of Bahraich, could not get his due in history, the PM trained guns at those who had scripted the country’s history by saying that history of India is not just what was written by those who enslaved the country, but also the stories represented in the folk tales of the people.

    He also brought the reference of great freedom fighters such as Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and Dr BR Ambedkar who all, as he claimed, did not get proper acknowledgement for their invaluable contributions to the country, in winning its freedom and its social evolution. “All theseluminaries were not accorded their place of honour and respect which they deserved,” said the PM.

    ALSO READ | History of India is not just what was written by those who enslaved us: PM Modi

    “Today, when India is entering its 75th year of Independence, there can be no bigger an occasion to remember those luminaries and take inspiration from their contributions, sacrifice, struggle, valour, and martyrdom,” said PM Modi.

    He added: “It’s a misfortune that those who dedicated their lives to protect India were not given their due position… The injustice and manipulation meted out to those who created history, by those who wrote history  is being corrected by today’s India.”

    “This is for the first time in 1,000 years that the birth anniversary of Maharaja Suheldev is being celebrated like this,” the PM said to substantiate his point.

    Lauding CM Yogi Adityanath for his handling of pandemic in the state, PM Modi said, “The way the work was done in Uttar Pradesh during the Corona period is significant. Imagine how things would have been done at the national and international level if the situation in UP had worsened. But Yogi Ji’s entire team managed to handle the situation in the best possible manner.”

    On the occasion, Modi also laid the foundation of the restoration work of Chittaura Lake in Bahraich. He also inaugurated a medical college awarded to Bahraich four years ago in the name of the warrior king.

    Maharaja Suheldev, who is said to have killed invader Mohammad Ghaznavi’s nephew Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masood in the early 11th century, is considered a key icon for the Rajbhar community, an MBC, in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

    Earlier in December 2020, Modi had released a postal stamp of Suheldev at an event in Ghazipur. At the time, the PM had said this was to take Maharaja Suheldev’s contribution to all Indians through the stamp.

    With the 2022 Assembly elections close in sight, BJP has an eye on the Rajbhar vote bank. In fact, the Rajbhar community accounts for a significant percentage of the Purvanchal population. They are considered the second-most politically dominant force to reckon with after the Yadavs in eastern UP. Traditionally, they used to vote with the Dalits for Mayawati’s  BSP, but in 2017, this chunk of the population shifted its loyalty to the BJP after the party allied with Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) headed by Om Prakash Rajbhar.

    However, SBSP could also open its account in UP Assembly. Later, it won four seats after aligning with the BSP. Rajbhar became a minister in the Yogi government but later parted ways at the time of 2019 general election owing to his soaring political ambitions.

  • Support swells abroad and at home for arrested 21-yr-old climate activist Disha

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  There was an outpouring of support for activist Disha Ravi from the opposition and global personalities even as a BJP leader drew parallels with terrorists and another got embroiled in a controversy over his tweet. Disha was arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with a ‘toolkit’ earlier tweeted by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. 

    Congress leader Raul Gandhi led the charge for his party as he tweeted screenshots of articles related to Ravi’s arrest and posted: “India won’t be silenced.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidamabaram, Shashi Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh, Kapil Sibal chipped in to condemn the arrest. While Chidambaram urged students and youths to raise their voices against the ‘authoritarian’ regime, Ramesh dubbed the arrest as unwarranted harassment and intimidation.”

    ALSO READ | Toolkit row: Delhi cops deny illegality in climate activist Disha Ravi’s remand

    Climate activist Disha Ravi. (Photo| Twitter/ @KartiPC)

    AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury also came out strongly against the Modi government in the case.  It was not just opposition leaders back home extending support, as US vice-president Kamala Harris’s niece Meena Harris, British MP Claudia Webbe, American environmentalist Bill McKibben lent support to Disha.

    ALSO READ | Ramachandra Guha hits out at Centre, many groups hold protests demanding activist’s release

    Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij was caught in his own web after Twitter sent him a notice following a complaint from a user in Germany regarding a tweet. “Whoever harbours the seed of anti-nationalism in their mind, that has to be completely destroyed, be it #Disha_Ravi or anyone else,” he had tweeted.  Later, Twitter said the tweet was investigated and “was not subject to removal”. “Accordingly, we have not taken any action as a result of this specific report.” 

    BJP IT chief Amit Malviya, meanwhile, smelt the role of the Left in this episode. “The Left has been using young impressionable minds as cannon fodder for their deranged politics for a long time. From JNU to Jamia, AMU to Nadwa and now Disha Ravi, are all part of their sinister plot…”  Like Vij, three-time BJP MP from Bengaluru PC Mohan went all out against the 21-year-old climate activist. “Burhan Wani was a 21-year-old. Ajmal Kasab was a 21-year-old. Age is just a number! No one is above the law. Law will take its  own course.” 

    ALSO READ | Toolkit case: After arresting Disha Ravi, Delhi Police issue non-bailable warrants against two more activists

    Advocate Nikita JacobLawyer who volunteers as social worker 

    A lawyer at Bombay High Court who volunteers for social work, Nikita Jacob has been alleged to have links with AAP. She, however, has denied her link with AAP in her affidavit in the Bombay High Court. Mo Dhaliwal, the Poetic Justice Foundation founder, contacted Nikita via his colleague Puneet who lives in Canada, the police claim. The motive was to create a Twitter storm ahead of Republic Day. According to her website, Nikita advises her clients to try settling civil disputes. Her Twitter handle that is locked has “Advocate, Bombay High Court” mentioned in her bio

    Farmer’s son who dabbled in business before activism

    Environment activist Shantanu Muluk hails from Beed district in Maharashtra, but studied and has been living in Delhi for last several years. His parents, who are farmers by profession, are worried about their son. The Delhi Police visited the family  in Beed as it is looking out for him in connection with the toolkit case. “Shantanu’s mobile phone is switched off. We last spoke with him few days ago. In lock-down, he was with us only. He studied in Aurangadbad and even did some small business in Pune before moving to Delhi. It is true that he was worried about the farmers and their protest in Delhi. It is natural as son of the farmer to concern about farmer community,” his parents said.

  • Inflation on rise but sugarcane rates stagnant; UP govt owes Rs 12,000 crore to farmers: Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI
    GHAZIABAD: Prices of fuel and fertilizers have gone up but the procurement rate of sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh has remained stagnant for the last four years, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said on Monday, claiming farmers’ cane dues worth Rs 12,000 crore are pending in the state.

    The Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson, who has been leading the protests against the Centre’s three new farm laws at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border since November, asserted that the ongoing agitation is also in support of farmers of western UP who are not getting due rates of their sugarcane produce.

    Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and other places are camping at Delhi’s border points of Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri since November demanding that the Centre rescind the three contentious laws enacted in September and make a new one guaranteeing them Minimum Support Price (MSP).

    “The Sugarcane Institute in Shahjahanpur had decided a rate of Rs 287 per quintal for sugarcane in 2019-20 and then put it at Rs 297 for 2020-21 but the farmers are not getting even these rates. The government is not implementing the rates suggested by the institute also,” Tikait was quoted as saying in a BKU statement.

    “Sugarcane farmers’ dues worth Rs 12,000 crore are pending today. But the farmers are not getting due rates and then whatever rate they get, the payment on that also remains pending,” the 51-year-old Tikait said.

    He also hit out at UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, wondering if the BJP leader was “even weaker” than his predecessors Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati that he “can’t even match what these two did for farmers”, according to the statement.

    Tikait said over the years, prices of petrol and diesel, LPG cylinders, school education and fertilizers have gone up but the price of sugarcane has remained as it is.

    “A sack of manure weighed 50 kg earlier, but now its weight has been reduced to 45 kg. That is how the government has inflated the prices of manure,” he said.

    “Sugarcane farmers have been impacted seriously. Wedding of children pushes them into taking loans and it seems the government, instead of clearing the pending dues of farmers, is showing more interest in shelling out loans to them,” he alleged.

    He also questioned the government’s intent on the issue of implementing recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report on farmers’ issues.

    Tikait said the ongoing movement against central laws and demand for a new law on MSP does not belong to a section of farmers but all farmers in the country.

    “This movement seeks the welfare of sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh as much as it seeks the welfare of cotton farmers in Maharashtra. We are holding meetings across states to gather support for farmers,” he said.

    The government, which has held 11 rounds of formal talks with the protestors, maintains the laws are pro-farmer.

    The impasse continues.

  • Support pours in for Disha Ravi from opposition parties

    By Express News Service
    BENGALURU: Even as the BJP leaders have called for strict action against Bengaluru climate activist Disha Ravi arrested in connection with farmers’ protest toolkit case, opposition parties have thrown their weight behind the 21-year-old condemning her arrest.

    Right from former AICC president Rahul Gandhi to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, all have deemed Disha’s arrest as “silencing of dissent”. Disha also received support from Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and DMK chief MK Stalin.

    “Your lips are free to speak, say that the truth is still alive! They are scared, not the country! India won’t be silenced,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi commenting on a range of topics including Disha Ravi’s arrest and a video calling for the hanging of journalists. Congress leaders fumed against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state deeming charges of sedition against the activist as “flimsy”. 

    ALSO READ | Nothing wrong in manner of Disha Ravi’s arrest, says Karnataka Home Minister Bommai

    “The arrest of Disha Ravi, a climate activist, has exposed the cracks in the Indian democracy under Narendra Modi. How can the act of supporting farmers be charged under sedition? I strongly condemn this politically motivated act by Delhi Police,” said Siddaramaiah, who accused the Prime Minister of appealing to people to educate girls only to jail them for asking questions. 

    “Disha Ravi is an Indian patriot. Supporting the farmers or environmental activism are civic virtues. The purpose of her arrest is just to instill fear among people so that they won’t raise their voice,” said former Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. 

    “The arrest of Disha Ravi is highly condemnable. The Delhi Police has acted with brutality against this bright, fierce, and young activist. Mr Amit Shah, please end your police Raj in this country. Don’t suppress the spirit of the youth, instead of nourishing it” said Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu. He added that India had changed under the BJP regime.

    “Two more activists in Mumbai fear arrest. Can’t believe what is happening in India. Farmers are terrorists. Journalists are anti-nationals. Activists are seditious. The opposition is Desh Drohis. Students are traitors. Under @BJP4India, India has changed,” Gundu Rao said.

  • Disha, Shantanu, Nikita created, edited ‘toolkit’ and sent to Greta, says Delhi Police

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday alleged that climate activist Disha Ravi along with two other suspects Nikita Jacob and Shantanu created the “toolkit” document related to the farmers’ protest and shared in on social media.

    The police claimed Disha, who was arrested by the force on Saturday from Bengaluru, sent the “toolkit” to teen climate activist Greta Thunberg via Telegram app.

    Addressing a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Prem Nath claimed that Disha deleted a WhatsApp group she created to spread the “toolkit”.

    READ| Unarmed Disha strikes fear among those who have weapons: Priyanka Gandhi on arrest of activist

    The Delhi Police earlier said non-bailable warrants have been issued against Jacob and Shantanu for allegedly sharing the “toolkit” on social media.

    Nath claimed that Nikita and Shantanu attended a zoom meeting organised by ‘pro-khalistani’ group Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF) and added that Jacob was also one of the editors of “toolkit” document.

    “Disha, Shantanu and Nikita created and edited the toolkit. Disha sent the toolkit to Greta Thunberg through the Telegram app. Disha deleted a WhatsApp group which she created to spread the toolkit. Due procedure was followed during Dishal’s arrest,” he said.

    Ravi was sent to five days police remand on Sunday by a Delhi court here.

    Thunberg had shared the “toolkit” to lend her support to the farmers’ agitation against the three farm reform laws.

    In the document, various urgent actions, including creating a Twitter storm and protesting outside Indian embassies, were listed which were needed to be taken to support the farmers’ protest.

    The toolkit has been cited by some critics as “proof” of her conspiracy to fuel protests in India.

  • BJP chalking out strategy to counter Priyanka’s farmer outreach in UP  

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Congress leader and party’s UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s frequent visits to the state with an intent to revive her party’s fortunes in 2022 has unnerved the ranks and files of the BJP. The saffron party is now busy drawing a strategy to counter the Priyanka factor.

    So far, in the month of February, the Congress leader has visited the state four times. She had come to Rampur on February 4 to meet the family of the farmer Navdeep Singh who had died during Delhi protests on Republic Day. Then Priyanka went to Saharanpur on February 10 to address a Kisan Mahapanchayat despite district administration’s refusal for such a gathering. On February 11, the Congress leader was in Prayagraj where her “soft Hindutva” approach came into play when she took a holy dip at Sangam.

    On Monday (February 15), the Congress general secretary was again in Bijnor, the western UP district, where she addressed another Kisan Panchayat repeating the same rhetoric by accusing the Centre and PM Modi of helping “his billionaires friends” at the cost of farmers.

    However, keeping a close watch on the activities of the Congress leader, the saffron brigade has gone back to the drawing board to chalk out a strategy to counter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s farmer outreach.

    If the party insiders are to be believed, the BJP has the plan to give a fresh push to its farmers’ outreach by holding series of pro-farmer meetings. However, this exercises have been continuing at the party front for quite some time. The action plan envisages small, rural gatherings and its leaders have started visiting villages.

    ALSO READ | Govt insulted farmers, ministers called them traitors: Priyanka Gandhi at kisan panchayat

    Besides, the leadership is also contemplating giving some positions of prominence in the party to some Jat leaders. Moreover, as the buzz has it, CM Yogi Adityanath is likely to affect a cabinet reshuffle in near future. Some new inductions may take place especially for the western UP which is playing anepicentre to UP farmers’ protests. Groups of farmers backing the new farm laws, too, are active and moves are afoot to rope them in the BJP outreach plan.

    As per the Congress sources, Priyanka Vadra is likely to increase the frequency of her UP visits. Meanwhile, she has also activated the senior leaders. In Farrukhabad, veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid also attended a farmers’ panchayat.

    “She has the plan to visit each and every assembly constituency till 2022 assembly polls,” said a Congress leader, who felt that she was new emerging hope on the horizon of UP’s political landscape.

    BJP’s state leadership has activated its cadre and the leaders have already started attending farmers’ meets. The feedback from the meetings is being gathered through the grass root cadre. Special focus is being kept on those 84 assembly constituencies which the party had last in the last 2017 elections.

    Party’s rural connect exercise is being spearheaded by BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh. It will also help the party in upcoming Panchayat polls likely in April-May.

    The western UP leadership of the party seems to be cagey about the kisan mahapanchayats being organised by the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Congress, and other parties like Samajwadi Party taking part in them.

    “This farmers’ protest might have benefitted the RLD and SP to some extent, but 2022 election are around a year away. We are confident of regaining the lost ground if any,” said a senior BJP functionary on the condition of anonymity.

    However, the political experts feel that it would take much more for the Congress to revive itself from decimation. They feel that more than the BJP, parties like SP and BSP would be more cautious of the Congress presence as the party has a common vote bank and if Congress succeeds in gaining some ground, it would not be possible without denting the prospects of regional satraps.

  • Greta Toolkit row: Climate activist Disha Ravi remanded to 5-day police custody

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Sunday remanded 21-year-old “climate activist” Disha Ravi to five days police custody following her arrest in connection with alleged spreading a “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest.

    Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha of Patiala House Courts Complex here allowed Delhi Police to quiz Disha Ravi for five days.

    Ravi is a “climate activist” residing in Bengaluru and was allegedly involved in editing and disseminating the “toolkit” on social media.

    The activist was presented before a Delhi Court by Delhi Police. The police sought seven days of custody on the ground that the custody is required to probe an alleged larger conspiracy against the Government of India and to ascertain alleged role relating to Khalistan movement.

    The police told the Court that activist has allegedly edited the toolkit on February 3 and many other people are involved in the matter. The police have informed the Court that they have recovered the mobile phone of the activist.

    Disha Ravi broke down inside the courtroom and told the judge that she has edited only two lines and she wanted to support farmers protest.

    Delhi Police Cyber Cell had arrested a 21-year-old climate activist from Bengaluru on Saturday for her alleged role in spreading a “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest.

    According to the Delhi Police officials, Disha is a key lead in the “toolkit” case as she had admitted during the initial interrogation to editing, adding some things in the “toolkit” and spreading it further.

    Last week, the Delhi Police sent a communication to Google seeking registration details and activity log of the account through which a “toolkit” related to the farmers’ protest was created and uploaded on the social media platform.

    Two e-mail IDs, one Instagram account, and one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) were mentioned in the toolkit and police have asked for details from the respective platforms.

    The police had registered an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the creators of the “toolkit’.

    Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • BJP leader’s vehicle attacked in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur

    By PTI
    HOSHIARPUR: A BJP leader’s vehicle was allegedly attacked here on Sunday by some unidentified people when a group of farmers was protesting against the Centre’s farm laws.

    According to police, the incident took place at Garhdiwala town, about 30 km from Hoshiarpur.

    The vehicle of district BJP president (rural) Sanjiv Minhas was attacked when around 100 farmers were protesting against the Centre’s farm laws outside a shop of another party leader, Jogesh Chopra, police said.

    At that time, Minhas was present in the shop, said officials. As the leader was being taken to a safer place, some unidentified people scuffled with police personnel.

    They also smashed windowpanes of Minhas’s vehicle.

    Minhas was taken to a community health centre for a check-up, from where he was discharged after providing first aid.

    Minhas accused Congress workers of attacking his vehicle.

    Superintendent of Police (Headquarter) Raminder Singh said they are verifying facts and action will be taken accordingly.