New Delhi:
Punjab’s chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, has pointed out the irony of the brutality of the Haryana police action against farmers who were peacefully protesting on November 26, Constitution Day.
“It is a sad irony that on Constitution Day 2020, the constitutional right of farmers (to peacefully protest) is being oppressed in this way. Let them pass ML Khattar ji, don’t push them over the edge. Voice to Delhi in peace. “Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh tweeted.
He added that the use of “brute force” is “totally undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
“The hands that feed the nation deserve to be held, not taken away,” read another tweet from Singh, who also tagged the BJP urging him to tell the governments of the states where he is in power, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, “no to indulge in these heavy-handed tactics against farmers. “
For almost two months, farmers have protested peacefully in Punjab without any problem. Why is the Haryana government provoking them by resorting to force? Don’t farmers have the right to pass peacefully on public roads? @mlkhattarpic.twitter.com/NWyFwqOXEu
– Captain Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 26, 2020
Yogendra Yadav, whose Swaraj India is part of the national protest by more than 500 farmers’ organizations against the recently enacted farm laws, told NDTV: “Haryana Senior Deputy Minister Dushyant Chautala claims to be a farmer representative. The bare minimum. you can do is resign and apologize to the farmers. “
Yadav made the remarks while noting that police action in the BJP-ruled states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had only emboldened more farmers to join.
“Three lakhs of farmers are marching … the number shows the degree of anger (against the laws),” said activist Yogendra Yadav, who was arrested in Gurgaon along with some 50 farmers as they tried to cross into Delhi.
“They accuse me of disturbing the peace and violating Covid security rules. They are arresting me … It is not a crime to be a farmer. We will continue our agitation,” Yadav told reporters as they took him away.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted in support of allowing farmers to speak out against the three farm laws, which farmers say threaten their livelihood in the absence of a statutory minimum price support for the product.
“All three bills are against farmers. Instead of withdrawing this bill, farmers are prevented from holding peaceful demonstrations; water cannons are used against them. This crime is absolutely wrong. To protest peacefully is a right constitutional, “said the head of the AAP. wrote in Hindi.
The backlash comes amid reports that Haryana police used tear gas shells and water cannons to prevent farmers from marching to Delhi for a two-day demonstration against three controversial laws aimed at introducing reforms and improving profits from farmers by allowing them to sell their products in the commercial market, anywhere in the country.
Farmers in six states – Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala and Punjab – have been planning the “Dilli Chalo” protest against these laws for two months.
They had asked the Haryana government for permission to march to Delhi, which was denied. The state also ordered barricades on the roads connecting Punjab and Delhi with Haryana, many districts of which must be crossed to reach the national capital. The state also placed several leaders of the farmers’ organization into protective custody on Tuesday.
Delhi police had also denied permission to hold demonstrations in the city, saying that anyone violating this rule would face legal action.
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