Keypoints:
- Two of the farmers’ unions namely the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) withdrew their protest after the violence on Republic Day.
- The protesting farmers on January 26 entered the national capital from three routes emanating from the Singhu border, the Tikri border, and the Ghazipur border, as Delhi Police gave their nod for a peaceful protest.
- The Delhi Police on Wednesday said that more than 300 personnel of the police force have been injured after being attacked by protesting farmers on January 26.
After the Republic Day, two farmers union decided to withdraw their protest after the violence on 26th January. The two unions were said to be Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Bhanu). While they announced their withdrawal from the protests, VM Singh, the convenor of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan referred to BKU’s Rakesh Tikait and said that he “cannot continue the protest with those people (BKU) whose direction is different”.
“Everyone feels proud on Republic Day. The day before yesterday, we checked the routes again and again. We checked it with local SP too. It was said that Rakesh Tikait was wanting other routes that will go for Red Fort to the Republic Day parade. I spoke to Rakesh Tikait personally and asked him that we will go together at 11.00 AM (on Jan 26), however, when we reached at 10.00 AM, we got to know that they had already left,” VM Singh said at the press conference while apprising about the incidents ahead of tractor rally.
“You (BKU) were not raising our demands yet we were supporting you unconditionally. Rakesh Tikait went to 5-6 meetings but he never raised questions about UP’s farmers,” VM Singh said. He added that the agitation will continue “but not like this.” “This format is not acceptable,” VM Singh added.
Speaking on the Samyukta Kisan Morcha stage Wednesday afternoon, Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of BKU (Rajewal), alleged that the KMSC leaders worked in collaboration with the Delhi Police and government of India for money to ruin and vilify the ‘Kisan Republic Day Parade’.
“Senior police officials of Delhi met the leaders of the KSMC on Monday night and the entire plan was laid out,” Rajewal said. “We were supposed to start our parade on the finalised route the next morning at 10 am but the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee protesters left the Singhu border at 7am and poised themselves on our routes.”
“Can anybody believe that on Republic Day there were no security men who bothered to stop the protesters near the Red Fort? For four hours there were no police there at all,” Rajewal claimed. “Is this possible without the connivance of the police and the government? Governments are known to fail protests one way or the other but this government has stooped this low.”
The other farmer organisations, under the umbrella body Samyukta Kisan Morcha are continuing with the agitation for now. The morcha is holding an internal meeting Wednesday to review its future course of action and identify who all were responsible for yesterday’s violence.
