Farmers' leaders to address protesters, Budget Day march still on
What's the story
After violence rocked Delhi, farmers' leaders will address protesters at the Singhu border, one of the key locations of their agitation, today. Later, the leaders would also hold a meeting to discuss the next steps.
Despite yesterday's chaotic scenes, protesting farmers have not ditched plans to march to the Parliament on Union Budget Day, February 1, reports said on Wednesday.
Here's more.
What happened
On Republic Day, tractor march descended into chaos, clashes reported
Last week, the Delhi Police allowed farmers, protesting against three farm laws since November, to hold a tractor march on Republic Day. The permission was given as a mark of protest toward their demands.
However, the farmers dishonored agreement by entering Delhi well before time; they knocked down barricades, vandalized police vehicles, clashed with cops, and drove their tractors into the Red Fort complex.
Statement
'Anti-social elements' infiltrated our movement, claimed umbrella body
As the unprecedented scenes cast shadows on the protest, deemed as "peaceful" by the organizers, leaders said they weren't involved.
The tractor rally was also called off.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body steering the agitation, claimed that "anti-social elements" infiltrated the movement. "We have always held that peace is our biggest strength and that any violation would hurt the movement," the body said.
Statement
One leader predicted government will run 'propaganda war'
Separately, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU, Ugrahan faction), also slammed the violence, saying that the tractor parade would have been stronger had communal issues been kept at bay.
Referring to the hoisting of flags at Red Fort, he claimed the government will now wage a "propaganda war against the peasant movement."
He called for preserving the agitation's "secular" nature.
Blame game
The leaders also blamed actor Deep Sidhu for unrest
Singh blamed actor Deep Sidhu for whatever transpired. "We saw faces of actor Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana on social media and found that they were misguiding the youth. None of the farmer unions had planned to go toward Red Fort."
The chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Haryana unit, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, also blamed Sidhu. "Farmers never wanted to go to Red Fort," he asserted.
Defense
How can I instigate farmers, asked Deep Sidhu
Subsequently, Sidhu, who was present when farmers stormed into the 17th-century Mughal monument, posted a Facebook video in defense.
"How can I instigate lakhs of farmers? I am also a part of the 'sangat' (a group of protesting farmers), I am one of them itself," he said in the nearly 10-minute-long clip.
He added that 'Nishan Sahib' (a Sikh flag) was hoisted for symbolism.
Quote
He accepted a religious flag was hoisted
"To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislation, we put up 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag and also raised the slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta," Sidhu said, adding that anger "flares up" in such mass movements.
Association
Meanwhile, Sunny Deol said he isn't associated with Sidhu
To note, Sidhu was seen close to Sunny Deol when the latter contested from the Gurdaspur seat in 2019. After he joined the farmers' protest, the actor-turned-politician distanced himself from him.
He reiterated the same in a tweet posted late last night.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said neither he nor his family is associated with Sidhu while also condemning the Red Fort incident.
Twitter Post
Have clarified stance earlier as well: BJP MP
आज लाल क़िले पर जो हुआ उसे देख कर मन बहुत दुखी हुआ है, मैं पहले भी, 6 December को ,Twitter के माध्यम से यह साफ कर चुका हूँ कि मेरा या मेरे परिवार का दीप सिद्धू के साथ कोई संबंध नही है।
— Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) January 26, 2021
जय हिन्द
Plans
After rampage, government plans to change its strategy
After yesterday's incident, the federal government will take a different approach toward farmers.
"Our strategy going forward will definitely change. You cannot enter Red Fort by force, plant a flag there and then say let's talk about the laws," a source told IE.
The person also asked what would leaders do if protesters don't accept their likely agreement with the Centre.