Farmers’ Body Condemns ‘Conspiracy’ by KMSC, Others, for Violence

After a day which marked incidents of violence, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) – joint body of farmers organisations – on Wednesday condemned the “dirty conspiracy” by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) and Deep Sidhu, among others, to “knock down the peaceful and strong farmers’ struggle”.

It mentioned that it had resolved to continue protesting against the Farm Laws and said that the events of Republic Day “exposed and isolated the anti-farmer forces.”

Most of the farmer organisations part of the ongoing struggle against the laws held an emergency meeting on Wednesday under Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) President Balbir Singh Rajewal’s chairmanship. It expressed its “appreciation...to the struggling farmers for extending an unprecedented response to the Kisan Republic Day Parade.”

In a statement released following the meeting, the organisations said they discussed the events on Tuesday – the violence on January 26 led to 200 people being detained by the Delhi Police.

They said that the Central Government had been “severely shaken by this peasant agitation. Therefore, a dirty conspiracy was hatched with Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and others against the peaceful struggle of other farmer organisations.” It said that they had set up their own separate protest site 15 days after their agitation began.

“They were not part of the organisations which jointly undertook the struggle,” the SKM’s statement said.

It mentioned that when farmer organisations decided on conducting the tractor parade on Republic Day, “anti-social elements like Deep Sidhu and others, along with the said farmer organisation (KMSC) attempted to torpedo the farmers’ agitation.”

The SKM said that as part of the “conspiracy”, the KMSC and others announced that they would march on the Ring Road – not part of the routes agreed upon with the Delhi Police – and that they would unfurl a flag on the Red Fort. It mentioned that the KMSC began marching on the Ring Road about two hours before their parade was scheduled to begin. “It was a deep rooted conspiracy to knock down the peaceful and strong farmers' struggle,” it said, adding that all the organisations part of the SKM condemned the incident.

It appealed to the farmers to stay at the protest venues and resume with the peaceful struggle. “The farmers’ organisations resolved to continue this agitation and harshly condemned the government and its administration, the said farmers' organisation and anti-social elements, who tried to damage the peaceful farmers struggle,” it added.

The organisations also said they had resolved to not “allow the government and other forces inimical to the peaceful movement to break this struggle. Yesterday's events exposed and isolated the anti-farmer forces clearly.”

The Centre has already deployed around 4,500 paramilitary troops to assist the Delhi Police in maintaining law and order. After the violence, the MHA on Tuesday ordered temporary suspension of the internet for 12 hours in parts of Delhi. Rapid Action Force personnel have also been re-positioned in the national capital.

Tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to enter the national capital on Tuesday with their tractor parade to highlight their demands. The scenes were soon chaotic, with farmers and the police clashing and some protesters hoisting a Sikh flag from the Red Fort’s ramparts.

The Delhi Police has registered 22 FIRs so far in connection with the violence that left over 300 policemen injured, officials said on Wednesday. A protester died after his tractor overturned near ITO.

With inputs from PTI