Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal on Friday extended support to Rajesh Tikait, the farmer leader who along with his supporters is camping at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border near Ghazipur (Ghaziabad).
Sukhbir spoke to Tikait and discussed ways to shore up more strength and support for the farmers’ agitation in Delhi, especially in view of the combined onslaught against farmers by the BJP and the Government of India. He also reminded Tikait that their fathers — Parkash Singh Badal and Mahendra Singh Tikait — have long upheld the cause of farmers.
Following his telephonic conversation with Tikait, Sukhbir also dispatched an Akali delegation comprising senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder, SAD Delhi president Jathedar Harmit Singh Kalka and the Delhi Sikh religious body chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa to the site of the farmers’ dharna led by Tikait.
These leaders had extensive talks with the Kisan leader and discussed ways to lend more strength to the agitation. The delegation assured Tikait of “whole hearted support in terms of men, material and morale” to the farmers’ cause.
Consequent upon the telephonic conversation, Sukhbir instructed the Akali cadre to rush to Delhi in even larger numbers than before to join their brethren on the Delhi borders and lend strength to the peaceful movement. While many Akali contingents have already joined the farmers in the gathering, more are on the way in large numbers, he said.
Earlier in the day, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal led the Opposition efforts to confront the Government on the anti-farmer bills. He confronted the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Rajnath Singh a the main entrance to the Parliament House, asking them to revoke the three anti-farmer Acts against which the peasants, farm labour, and the arhtiyas (commission agents) have been agitating peacefully for over two months.
Sukhbir told the Union leaders that his party, which had resigned from the Union Cabinet and quit the NDA as protest against the Govt’s refusal to withdraw the three anti-farmer Acts, would never let the farmers’ agitation against these Acts to be either sabotaged or weakened through government conspiracies.
Meanwhile, SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia appealed to all SAD and Youth Akali Dal (YAD) workers, who had returned to Punjab during the last one week, to go back to the ‘dharna’ sites at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur.
Stating that they were needed at the ‘dharna’ sites even more than before, Majithia said: “I know a large number of you have been camping on the Delhi borders since the last two months. However, the Central Government is making attempts to crush the Kisan Andolan in league with the BJP Government of Haryana. We must ensure this nefarious design, to silence the voice of the annadaata and disrespect the sacrifice of 80 martyrs, does not succeed at any cost.”
Majithia also denounced the manner in which the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was being misused against farmer leaders and journalists, including senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. “UAPA has been framed to act against those challenging the unity and integrity of India and that it should not be used to persecute anyone. Doing so amounts to dictatorial conduct”, Majithia said adding that the farmers should not be singled out for fighting for repeal of the three Agricultural laws as well as implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report in letter and spirit.
He simultaneously also pointed out that the central government had not taken any action against those who had indulged in wrongful acts on Republic Day which had sent a clear message to the people that State agencies were behind them.
