Two farmers’ unions pull out of protest against farm laws

Two farmers unions, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu), on January 27 announced that they are disassociating themselves from the farmers protest against the three farm laws.

“We can’t carry forward a protest with someone whose direction is something else. So, I wish them the best but All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee are withdrawing from this protest right away,” said VM Singh of AIKSCC.

Singh also blamed farmers leader Rakesh Tikait for the violence on Tuesday. Tikait is also named in Delhi police FIRs along with Yogendra Yadav and other farmer leaders.

Farmer leaders have appealed protesting farmers to maintain peace and said their agitation against the centre’s agricultural laws is a long one. The farmer leaders spoke at one of the key Delhi-Haryana borders a day after the capital witnessed unprecedented violence as a Republic Day tractor rally by farmers in protest of the centre’s agricultural laws went off the scheduled course and rolled into the Mughal-era Red Fort.

The union leaders continued to distance themselves from those behind the violence and alleged a conspiracy to “torpedo” their peaceful movement. One farmer died on the way to Red Fort, with the police saying it was an accident. Over 300 police personnel were injured in Tuesday’s violence and 22 cases have been registered, Delhi Police said. On February 1, the farmers are planning a march to parliament.
Six farmer leaders are among those who have been named in the cases. A case of conspiracy too has been filed. One of the First Information Reports (FIRs), which includes the charge of robbery, mentions Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and 40 farmer leaders who attended meetings with the centre.

A section of farm leaders blamed Punjabi actor and activist Deep Sidhu of instigating the clashes and planting a Sikh religious flag at Red Fort. “Deep Sidhu is the government’s man. We need to understand this conspiracy. How did these people reach Red Fort and why did the police let them go?” a farmer leader said.

A key pan-India farmers’ group, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, held a meeting at the Singhu border, during which they reiterated the “conspiracy” angle and distanced themselves from Tuesday’s violence.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a high-level meeting on January 26 took the decision to deploy additional paramilitary forces in Delhi. Punjab and Haryana have been placed under high alert.
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