Amroha Farmers Say, ‘No Entry for BJP’

Following the brutal police action against the protesting farmers at the Delhi-UP border earlier this month, the villagers from Rasulpur Mafi village in Amroha district have come up with a novel sign board warning the leaders of the BJP against entering their village.

The board was installed on Saturday morning. Later, a picture of the board was uploaded on social media, and it has gone viral. Along with the picture of the board, a picture of a poster is also going viral on social media, which carries a picture of the bleeding and injured farmers, while a cop stands with a weapon, targeting farmers. The text on the poster says, ‘When they (BJP leaders) come (asking) for votes during 2019 elections, ask them why they were silent on farmers atrocities.’

Led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) — an organisation working for protection of the interests of farmers — ‘Kisan Kranti Padyatra’, which started on September 23, ended at the Kisan Ghat. Thousands of farmers were lathi charged and teargassed on October 2 when they tried to enter Delhi.

Speaking with Newsclick, BKU leader and national spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait said, "It is public anger towards Modi government, though I convince them to remove the sign board and not to indulge in such activities. I asked the villagers to instead hang a board welcoming the BJP leaders, and then they should ask what they (the BJP government) have done for farmers so far in four and half years." He also said that the government will get a befitting reply in 2019 from common people.

Danveer Singh, a villager from Fatehpur Chitra of Amroha district, said, "On October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, we were moving towards Delhi in a peaceful manner, but police did a lathi charge, teargassed after water cannons failed to subdue us. What crime did we do that police did this to us? And, this is the reason why farmers started putting up sign boards in various villages.”

The first board was put up on October 6 in Rasulpur Mafi village, and now it has spread to a dozen villages of Amorha including Chajupura Mafi, Bakherpur Mafi, Galibpur Bada, Amheda, Hafizpur, Salarpur etc and now it reached to Bijnor, Moradabad and Sambhal.

Danveer also said that this government has occupied Delhi, but they will not let them (BJP) enter their villages. “Why will we give our votes to such a government that beat us for presenting our demands?”

Gurmeet Singh, a villager of Rasulpur Mafi said, "The sign board was put up on October 2, initially, but BJP MLA Rajeev Tarara forced the police to put pressure on the villagers to remove the sign boards. When they failed, they sent the electricity department to raid and find out who was using electricity illegally, but they could not find a single person who is using it illegally. Administration and the police together are trying to harass us, but we are on the right path.”

He added, “If this government does not fulfill our demands in 2-3 days, then there will be a mahapanchayat soon, and we will show Modi government what we can do through our movement.”