Bharatiya Kisan Union alleges violence during R-Day tractor rally conspiracy to malign farmer unions

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has said that the violence, which took place on January 26 in the national capital, was a "conspiracy to malign the farmer unions and distance Punjab from the rest of the country".

"The violence that occurred on January 26 was a conspiracy to malign the farmer unions and distance Punjab from the rest of the country," Tikait said while addressing farmers at Singhu border on Wednesday.

He also said that farmers will head to local Police stations around Ghazipur border if the power supply is cut off in the area. Tikait warned that the onus of what happens next would lie on the government.

Commenting on Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, the BKU spokesperson said: "Someone goes there and hoists a flag, why was no firing done? Where was the police? How did he go there? Police allowed him to leave and didn't arrest him. Nothing has been done even now. Who was the person who maligned an entire community and orgsation?"

Sidhu's name has been included in an FIR registered by Delhi Police in connection with the violence at Red Fort in Delhi on Tuesday.

Delhi Police issued a notice to Tikait asking to explain why legal action should not be taken against him for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally on January 26.

The notice also reads, "You are also directed to provide names of the perpetrators of such violent acts belonging to your orgsation. You are directed to submit your response within 3 days."

Nineteen people have been arrested so far and over 25 criminal cases registered by Delhi Police in connection with the violence that broke out during the farmers' tractor march on Tuesday, Police Commissioner (CP) SN Shrivastava had said on Wednesday adding that 394 police personnel sustained injuries in the violence and several of them are still admitted to hospitals.

Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the protestors. A total of 22 FIRs have been filed by the Delhi Police with one of them mentioning the incident at ITO where a farmer died after his tractor overturned.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )

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