News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • Delhi Police takes Deep Sidhu to Red Fort to recreate vandalism scene on R-Day 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate and ascertain the scene of events that unfolded there on Republic Day during the farmer’s tractor parade, said police officials.

    Before Red Fort, the investigating team took Sidhu and Singh to the routes that they took to enter the national capital and reach the Red Fort, said an official. The team will inspect the site to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, what happened, how the activities and other things such as clashes and violence unfolded at the Red Fort on January 26 when the violence broke out and religious flags were unfurled by the protestors including the accused.  

    According to police, Sidhu was a prominent player behind the violence. He instigated youngsters with his provocative speeches even when he was hiding from the law. He was arrested on February 9 from Haryana’s Karnal bypass by a Special Cell team led by DCP Sanjeev Yadav. On Tuesday, he was sent to seven-day police custody by a city court.

    Sidhu and Singh were carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 on them, respectively. Singh was arrested from Punjab’s Hoshiyarpur. Delhi Police has also announced a reward of Rs 6 lakh each on other absconding prime suspects —Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh, Gurjant Singh, Buta Singh—in the Red Fort violence case. 

    Violent clashes broke out at ITO and Red Fort on January 26 when thousands of farmers with tractors entered the city deviating from the scheduled route given to them by the Delhi Police. Over 500 police personnel and about 10 farmers were injured in the clashes while one protestor died.

    Three more arrested in Burari case

    Three men have been arrested in connection with the violence during the farmers’ tractor parade in north Delhi’s Burari area on Republic day, police said on Saturday. The accused – Sukhmeet Singh, Gundeep Singh and Harvinder Singh – were identified with the help of CCTV footage and technical investigation.

    Sukhmeet and Gundeep are residents of Hari Nagar in west Delhi while Harvinder is a resident of Libaspur area. The police have arrested 14 people so far in connection with the violence in Burari.

  • Farm laws: Footfall at mahapanchayats emboldens unions 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, body of farmer unions leading the protest against the new farm laws, claimed on Friday that over 10,000 farmers participated in ‘mahapanchayats’ in Bilari and Bahadurgarh.

    “The impressive series of farmer mahapanchayats continue to unfold in a massive outpour of support. Today, tens of thousands of farmers participated in Bilari and Bahadurgarh mahapanchayats,” it said in a statement.

    “Farmers vowed that they will not allow corporations to profiteer in the name of ‘Food’ and at the expense of farmers. Hunger is not a business opportunity and shame on those governments and corporations that think so,” the statement said.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said 228 protestors have sacrificed their lives and became martyrs in the present agitation. “It is shameful that the government is admitting on the floor of parliament that it has no plans to extend support to the families of such martyrs. The government is to be blamed squarely for the lives lost. how many more lives does the government want to see sacrificed before it agrees to the legitimate demands of the protestors? We condemn the insensitivity of the government,” the farmers’ body asserted.

    Meanwhile, a signature campaign was launched at Singhu border demanding the release of Dalit rights activist Navdeep Kaur, who was arrested from the protest site. In another development, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait revealed plans by unions to hold meetings in PM Modi’s home state Gujarat and said protesters in Delhi will not return home until the Centre reaches an “ agreement” with them.

  • Tweet row: MP cops use force, foil Congress protest march to Kangana’s filming location

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Demanding an apology from Kangana Ranaut over her “anti-farmer” tweet, Congress workers on Friday evening staged protests at Sarani town of MP where the actress is shooting for Bollywood flick ‘Dhaakad’.

    Led by Betul legislator Nilay Daga and district Congress president Sunil Sharma, the party activists tried to march to the coal handling plant of the Satpura Thermal Power Station but were stopped by the police around 200 meters away.

    Kangana has been shooting at the same coal handling plant premises for the last few days along with Arjun Rampal and others for ‘Dhaakad’, which is slated for October 2021 release.

    With the Congress activists hell-bent on entering into the coal handling plant premises, the police first used water cannon to disperse the protestors. But when the activists started scuffling with the cops, they used force to push them back.

    Cops used force and water cannons to push back Cong activists on way to stop Kangana Ranaut’s flick ‘Dhaakad’s shoot in Sarani town of MP’s Betul district. Protestors were demanding her apology for last week’s tweet on agitating farmers. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/IDOhCpMPsw
    — Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) February 12, 2021

    Later, Congress gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the actress to apologise within for her last week’s tweet failing which the protest would intensify. Last week, the actress had attacked the Barbadian pop singer Rihanna for extending support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation. While responding to Rihanna’s tweet, Kangana had tweeted dubbing the protesting farmers as “terrorists.”

    However, Kangana was camping at a resort in Churna in the Satpura Tiger Reserve (around 25 km from Sarani town), while the protests were going on at Sarani.

    ALSO READ | Kangana Ranaut shares glimpse from ‘nonstop action shift’ for ‘Dhaakad’

    Earlier on Thursday evening, the Betul District Congress president Sunil Sharma had announced to hold the protests in Sarani town, demanding an apology from Kangana for her controversial tweet. On the same day, the actress tweeted, “Mujhe netagiri mein koi interest nahin… magar lagta hai Congress mujhe neta banakar hi choragi (I don’t have any interest in politics, but it seems Congress is determined to make me a politician).”

    The police security cover had been tightened around the Coal Handling Plant in Sarani in the wake of Congress’s threats to stall the shooting of the flick starring Kangana, who was granted Y-plus security cover by the central government in September 2020. The Centre’s move came after she claimed a threat to her life in the wake of her statements about the presence of an alleged drug nexus in Bollywood.

  • VP Venkaiah Naidu favours moderation while using social media to prevent abuse, calls for ending farmers’ stir

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called for moderation in the use of social media to prevent its abuse and avoid controversies so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

    His comments came in the backdrop of the government expressing “strong displeasure” over Twitter’s delay in taking prompt action against accounts and hashtags spreading misinformation and provocative content about the farmers’ stir.

    In an informal interaction with reporters, Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairman, called for an early resolution to the ongoing farmers agitation through talks and said extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue.

    Referring to the discourse on pulling down and restoring some accounts by Twitter regarding some comments on farmers’ agitation, Naidu stressed the best of way to effectively use social media without offending others is for the users to adopt the principle of moderation in content generation.

    Asked what he meant by moderation, the Vice President said extreme positions should not be taken so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

    Asserting that he was against controlling social media, Naidu said such effective platforms should not be misused and abused, and social media should not be allowed to be converted into theatres of war.

    ALSO READ: Rakesh Tikait address ‘mahapanchayat’ at Kurukshetra, criticises PM Narendra Modi’s remark on protesters

    Wars are hazardous to all, he said.

    “Content for social media should be generated in a restrained and responsible manner by keeping the reactions to such content in mind. Such reflection would minimise offensive posts. Provocation should not be the objective. Sharing of views for better perspectives should be,” the Vice President said.

    About the farmers’ agitation, he said taking extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue.

    Both the government and the farmers are willing to talk further even after 11 rounds of discussion already held.

    Talks should be taken forward for early resolution of the issue, Naidu said.

    ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi should ask MPs, MLAs to give up pension, use funds to support youth, says Rakesh Tikait

    “Taking extreme or maximalist positions by any side makes it difficult to resolve the issue as it makes accommodation of the other point of view difficult. Accordingly, the principle of moderation applies in this case as well,” he said.

    Referring to 100 years of first direct elections to the country’s central and provincial legislatures in 1920 and consolidation of India as a democracy and a Republic, he said, “Democracy is all about discussion and negotiated resolution of differences. It inherently calls for moderation without taking to extremes.”

    “It applies to both the issues concerning social media and farmers’ agitation.”

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of three contentious laws, which they feel would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the Centre has maintained that the laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

    ALSO READ: No ‘ghar wapsi’ till farmers’ demands are met, says BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    Naidu said the during the Budget session, Rajya Sabha has witnessed the crescendo of positivity and clocked near 100 per cent productivity during first part.

    He noted that during the farewell of four retiring members of the House, including the Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rajya Sabha witnessed a “crescendo of positivity with both the sides expressing and demonstrating good will for each other and prime minister leading the way in this regard”.

    “Such a human spirit brings out the best of all. Even though political differences are bound to be there, such spirit of recognition of contributions of all sections of the House builds bridges,” the Rajya Sabha chairman said.

  • In talks with PM Narendra Modi, Justin Trudeau commended government’s efforts to engage farmers in dialogue: MEA

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In his telephonic talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended the Indian government’s efforts to choose the path of dialogue in dealing with the farmer protests and described it as “befitting in democracy”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

    Modi and Trudeau held a telephone conversation on Wednesday, covering a range of issues including the coronavirus crisis.

    “On the farmers’ protests, Prime Minister Trudeau commended efforts of the government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing.

    His comments came following a question on the issue.

    ALSO READ: Discussed farmers’stir, resolving issues through dialogue with PM Modi, says Canada’s Justin Trudeau

    “He (Trudeau) also acknowledged the responsibility of his government in providing protection to Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in Canada,” Srivastava said.

    A readout issued by Trudeau’s office on the telephonic talks mentioned that the farmer protests figured in the discussions though the Indian statement on the same had not mentioned it.

    “The leaders discussed Canada and India’s commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue,” the Canadian readout said.

    It mentioned several other issues discussed by the two prime ministers.

    Tens of thousands of farmers have been protesting at three border points on the outskirts of Delhi demanding repeal of the three contentious farm laws.

    The talks between the farmers and the government are deadlocked as the farmers are insisting on complete repeal of the laws.

    In early December, Trudeau, backing the agitating farmers in India, had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests and had expressed concern over the situation.

    Last week, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had made a comment on the issues related to the farmers and it was conveyed to Canada that such remarks pertaining to the internal affairs of India are “unwarranted” and “unacceptable”.

  • Protestors won’t return home till agreement is reached: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI
    BAHADURGARH: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday revealed plans by farmer leaders to hold meetings in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat and said protesters in Delhi will not return home until the Centre reaches an “agreement” with them.

    It was not immediately clear if the remark made at a “mahapanchayat” here was a climb down from Tikait’s earlier assertion that there will be no “ghar wapsi” unless the laws are withdrawn.

    The government has been telling farmer unions to consider an option other than the complete repeal of the laws.

    He said the government will have to talk with the farmer unions’ committee spearheading the agitation against the laws.

    ALSO READ: Rakesh Tikait address ‘mahapanchayat’ at Kurukshetra, criticises PM Narendra Modi’s remark on protesters

    “This agitation will continue until the Government of India talks to the committee and arrives at an agreement. Till that time, farmers will not return home,” he said addressing a “mahapanchayat” organised by the “Dalal Khap 84” near the Tikri border.

    He also claimed the agitation is spread across the country and not limited to Punjab, Haryana or Uttar Pradesh as being projected by some.

    More “mahapanchayats” will be held in coming days, he said, adding that they will go to Gujarat as well.

    Tikait alleged that farmers from Gujarat were being pressured not to lend support to the agitation.

    ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi should ask MPs, MLAs to give up pension, use funds to support youth, says Rakesh Tikait

    “If anyone from Gujarat wants to come here to support the agitation and if it is found they are coming, police are being send to their homes,” he alleged.

    “We will hold meetings in Gujarat and other states,” he said.

    Tikait also said the “business on hunger” will not be allowed and those wanting it will be “driven out” of the country.

    Hitting out at the farm laws, he claimed these will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) and exploitation of farmers, from whom big companies will procure their produce at cheaper rates and then store it in godowns.

    ALSO READ: No ‘ghar wapsi’ till farmers’ demands are met, says BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    Big godowns will be built, which will be barricaded on similar lines like the ones near the protest sites at the Delhi borders, he said.

    Without naming anyone, he said attempts have been made to divide the farmers’ stir.

    “They tried to divide us on the lines of Punjab and Haryana, then small and big farmers,” he said.

    “We have said that the three laws are not acceptable to farmers and should be rolled back. But how will they take back these when godowns were built first and laws were framed later,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Ready to take agitation across the nation, says Rakesh Tikait

    “They did business of temple, religion and feelings. Now, they want to do the business on hunger,” Tikait alleged.

    The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border for over two months against the central laws enacted in September.

    The Centre has been saying these laws will bring in new farming technologies and free the farmers from the clutches of middlemen.

    The farmers have been rejecting these claims, saying these laws will harm their interest.

  • Farm laws will render 40% of people jobless: Rahul Gandhi at Rajasthan Kisan Mahapanchayat

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Modi government over farm laws as he began his two-day visit to Rajasthan on Friday. 

    Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh, Gandhi reiterated his ‘hum do humaare do’ comment. 

    The farm laws will benefit only a couple of big corporates and render 40% of people jobless, Gandhi said and added that farmers agitation had now spread all over India. Congress party would support farmers till the Modi government repeals the three farm laws, Gandhi further said.

    An aggressive Rahul argued: Agriculture is the largest business in India because it provides food to crores. “40% of India’s population runs this business in the country. These are farmers, labourers, small shopkeepers, and arthiyas. Congress has always tried to ensure that this business is never controlled by just one person.” 

    Gandhi added that the farm laws are designed to snatch agriculture from the 40% of people who currently earn a living from it. The real intent behind these laws is to ‘transfer agriculture into the hands of two to three wealthy businessmen,’ Gandhi thundered.

    ALSO READ | Ask your grandfather who gave up Indian territory to China: MoS Kishan Reddy to Rahul Gandhi

    “The first law will destroy the mandis. The second law will enable the hoarding of agricultural products. The third law will not allow the farmer to go to court if he asks for the right price for his produce.”

    Gandhi addressed another rally at Padampur in Sri Ganganagar district where all leaders on the stage sat not on chairs but on ‘charpais’ (cots) to create a rural ambience for the Mahapanchayat.

    Gandhi said: “Modiji says that we want to speak with farmers but we want to know what do you want to talk about? Repeal the Farm laws and farmers will speak with you. How can farmers talk when you (the PM) are taking away their land and future? Take back the laws first, then try to talk”.

    Gandhi also accused PM Modi of ceding Indian territory to China. “While Narendra Modi has handed over India’s territory and cannot stand up to China, he is standing like a wall against the interests of farmers and labourers.” 

    The Congress leader assured farmers that the Congress would stand with farmers till the laws are repealed. He ended his speech with loud, ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ slogans.

    Pilot ‘not allowed’ to speak during Rahul’s tour

    Political circles in Rajasthan abuzz with talk of Congress leader Sachin Pilot being apparently sidelined during his colleague Rahul Gandhi’s tour of the state that began on Friday. Though Pilot was present on the stage with Gandhi, he did not address the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Hanumangarh. He, howeve, spoke briefly in Sri Ganganagar.

    ‘Trudeau lauded India for holding talks with farmers’

    India on Friday said the Canadian PM commended New Delhi’s efforts to maintain dialogue with the farmers. “On the protests, Trudeau commended efforts of the government to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

  • Farmers’ stir: SC panel holds consultations with 12 ryots’ unions from eight states including Bengal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed committee on Friday held consultations with 12 farmer unions and peasants from eight states, including West Bengal, on the controversial farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

    This is the seventh meeting held by the panel so far.

    The three-member committee is holding consultations with stakeholders, both online and in person.

    In a statement, the committee said it held its interactions through video conference with farmers, farmer unions and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

    Twelve farm unions and farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the detailed deliberations with the committee members, it said.

    ALSO READ | BKU leader Rakesh Tikait to join seven ‘mahapanchayats’ in three states starting February 14

    “All the participating farmer unions, FPOs and farmers gave their detailed views and suggestions on the three farm laws,” the committee added.

    On January 12, the apex court had stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws for two months and asked the committee to submit a report within two months after consulting the stakeholders.

    Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for over two months seeking repeal of the new legislations, introduced by the Centre last year, saying they are pro-corporate and can weaken the mandi system.

    The 11 rounds of talks between the Centre and 41 protesting farmer unions have so far remained deadlocked, even though the ruling dispensation has offered concessions, including suspension of the legislations for 18 months, which the unions have rejected.

  • Three more held in connection with Republic Day violence at Burari

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Three more people have been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted during the farmers’ tractor parade in north Delhi’s Burari on Republic Day, police said on Thursday.

    The three men — Gurjeet Singh (34), Guru Prakash (34) and Rajendra Singh (41) — were arrested following a raid on Wednesday evening, they said.

    Earlier, the police had arrested eight men in connection with the violence in Burari.

    The arrest was made by the Special Investigation Team of north district in connection with the violence in Burari area on Republic day, a senior police officer said.

    The officer said Guru Prakash is a resident of Old Mahavir Nagar and the two others are from Bhalswa Dairy area.

    Mobile phones of the accused and a motorcycle used by them during the violence have also been seized, the police said.

    Thousands of farmers protesting the Centre’s new agri laws had clashed with the police during the tractor parade on January 26.

    Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

    Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and a flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled on Independence Day.

    On Monday, the Special Cell had arrested actor-activist Deep Sidhu, a “prominent player” behind the violence at the Red Fort.

    Over 120 people have been arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the violence that took place across the national capital on January 26, officials said.

  • Farmers’ agitation: Protesting unions to hold ‘kisan mahapanchayats’ across country in coming days

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions, on Thursday announced that ‘kisan mahapanchayats’ will be organised across the country in the coming days against the Centre’s three agri laws.

    The morcha made it clear that it will not call off the ongoing protest until its demands to repeal the laws and bring legal guarantee for minimum support price on their crops are met.

    In a statement, the protesting farmers’ body said that its teams are planning the programmes of the state-wise mahapanchayats.

    The move comes a day after it announced a four-hour nationwide ‘rail roko’ (rail blockade) on February 18 to press for their demands.

    Protesting farmer leader Darshan Pal said a mahapanchayat will be held in Moadabad (Uttar Pradesh) on Friday, followed by Bahadurgarh bypass (Haryana) on February 13, Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) on February 18, Hanumangarh (Rajasthan) on Februrary 19 and Silkar (Rajasthan) on February 23.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — for over 75 days.

    In a statement, Pal alleged that the government is not serious to fulfil the “fair and genuine” farmers’ demand of ‘karza mukti, pura daam’.

    The unions also claimed that the Haryana government has proposed to install CCTV cameras at the Tikri border protest site.

    Meanwhile, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, who has been actively involved in the agitation, issued a statement terming as “baseless” the allegation made by Congress member Ravneet Singh Bittu blaming him for the Republic Day violence in the national capital.

    Speaking in the Lok Sabha on February 9, Bittu claimed that Yadav had incited the farmers which lead to the violence on January 26.

    At the Singhu border protest site, the unions have begun strengthening the infrastructure by installing CCTV cameras for enhanced security, electric fans to beat the heat in the coming months, and laying separate optical fibre line for wi-fi facility in case there is another internet shutdown.

    These are some of the measures taken by the agitating farmers to prepare for a long haul as a resolution of the stalemate over the new farm legislation seems unlikely anytime soon.

    “We are strengthening our communication and other infrastructure to continue the agitation for a long period,” said Deep Khatri associated with managing logistics at the Singhu Border protest site.

    To increase security measures and keep miscreants at bay, 100 CCTV cameras with digital video recorders are being installed at the main stage used by the Morcha and also at some identified spots across the protest site’s stretch on the GT Karnal Road.

    The protesting farmer unions have been alleging that the laws will weaken the minimum support price mechanism and end mandi system.

    But the government says the new legislations offer more options to farmers to sell their crops, and will help raise their incomes.