New Delhi: The general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher, said on Thursday that they have suspended their Dilli Chalo protest march for two days to take stock of the ongoing situation on the Shambhu border in Haryana and further decision will be taken accordingly.
The farmer leader condemned the Central Government’s action against the protesters through para-military forces injuring hundreds.
Speaking to ANI, Pandher sad: “We had earlier announced that our movement will be completely peaceful, but if unrest came up, then we would ask all the youth to stop proceeding and the leaders themselves decide to take it forward from there. After the talks started, the Central government ran away from the talks, then we started getting inauspicious news from Khanuri. This Shubhakaran Singh, his age is 23 years, was shot in his head and three more were seriously injured. So in this kind of situation, to continue talks, I do not think we would be able to succeed.”
“For now, this movement is in a halt for two days. Whatever is going on, it will continue here only. After taking stock of the situation of all the disgusting things that are going on, we will take further decision keeping in mind all these things,” he said.
“While farmer leaders were moving peacefully, there was tremendous shelling on us. Rubber bullets were also fired. One farmer from Haryana was put in a sack, his legs were broken and thrown in the fields and other things are also coming in front of us,” he said.
“The police force in Ghanori attacked the farmers, destroying over 30 tractor trolleys, which is a condemnable action by the government,” the farmer leader remarked. He has urged the farmers and also people from across the country to come forward and protest against the PM Narendra Modi-led Central government. “India should rise, protest against the Modi government, it is a big issue for the whole country, MSP legal guarantee.”
He also criticised the Punjab government and the opposition parties in the country, including the Congress, for not ‘clarifying’ their stance.
“… Currently, there are 13 MPs in Rajya Sabha from Punjab. I am not able to see any of their statements. If the Modi government brings a one-day session in the Parliament for the MSP Legal Guarantee Act, then we farmers will cast their votes in favour of MSP. All the opposition parties in the country have not yet clarified what they say,” Pandher said.
“The agencies by the government are using well-planned methods. The kind of people that are being sent, and the way they cut off the media, means that the entire government is trying every possible way to defame the movement. This government is using force on the farmers and labourers of the country. This matter will have to be answered in the future,” he said.
He also urged to find a solution to the farmers’ demands sooner, so that the ongoing ‘unfortunate situation’ can end. “On Shambhu border, the circumstances are absolutely under control except for a few incidents and our people, farmers and labourers, are in complete control,” he added.
Pandher reiterated the farmers’ earlier demand that the Prime Minister intervene in the matter and find a solution for the same.
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that he was saddened by the death of a young farmer on the Punjab-Haryana border and asserted that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for it. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal asked, is it for this day that we fought for independence? Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that an FIR should be registered against the home minister of Haryana. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah condemned the death of the youth protester. And Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav urged the Centre to make decisions to eliminate the problems of farmers.