Two farmers’ unions pull out of agitation 19 held for R-Day attack, 25 FIRs filed
Umbrella union of protesting farmers not to step back unless 3 farm bills are withdrawn
A day after the national capital witnessed unprecedented violence during the Republic Day tractor rally, two farmer unions — the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) — on Wednesday quit the ongoing protests against the contentious agriculture laws at Delhi borders.
AIKSCC leader V.M. Singh said his organisation is withdrawing from the agitation with immediate effect because the format of the protest is “unacceptable” to it. “We are discontinuing our agitation but our fight for the rights of the farmers will continue,” he said.
Speaking about the violence, Singh said he and his organisation had nothing to do with the protest led by Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh said he too is withdrawing from the protest as he was pained to see the violence in Delhi.
“I am deeply pained by whatever happened in Delhi yesterday and am ending our protest.”
Even after the two farmer unions withdrew from over two-month long protests, the Samyuktha Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of the agitating groups, made it clear that they will not call off their agitation until the three laws are withdrawn and a legal guarantee is assured on the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that the government had not shut the door on further discussions with farmer leaders on the new laws. The Centre has so far held 11 rounds of talks with the farmers.
A day after the national capital saw unprecedented violence during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor rally, Delhi police commissioner S.N. Shrivastava said on Wednesday some farmers’ leaders were also involved in the violence and that all those involved will not be spared.
A Special Investigation Team, including officials from Special Cell, Crime Branch and the district police, has been constituted to investigate the incident. The police has registered 25 First Information Reports (FIRs) for rioting, robbing, attempt to murder and other criminal offences across against several people, including some farmers’ leaders, and 19 people were arrested while around 200 other were detained and 50 were questioned. The Delhi police has named 37 farmers’ leaders, including Medha Patekar and Yogendra Yadav, in an FIR registered at the
Samaypur Badli police station in connection with the violence. According to the FIR, the protesters also robbed an official pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition along with two gas guns.
The farmers’ leaders named in FIR include Rakesh Tikait, Medha Patekar, Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Harinder Singh Lakhoval, Gurnam Singh Chanduni.
The police chief also said by January 25 evening, it became clear that the unions were not keeping their word as they brought forward the aggressive elements who occupied the stage at protest sites and delivered provocative speeches.
He said that after five rounds of talks with the farmers’ union regarding the tractor parade on RDay, there was mutual agreement on the parade routes from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders.