At Ludhiana kisan mahapanchayat, Rajewal condemns attack on BJP MLA, says farm stir to stay peaceful

Terming the incident as unfortunate and uncalled for, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Sunday condemned the attack on BJP’s Abohar MLA Arun Narang by farmers protesting against the Centre’s contentious agriculture laws

Terming the incident as unfortunate and uncalled for, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Sunday condemned the attack on BJP’s Abohar MLA Arun Narang by farmers protesting against the Centre’s contentious agriculture laws.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal along with others during a kisan mahapanchayat in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

Rajewal, who was addressing a kisan mahapanchayat at Dana Mandi in Ludhiana, reiterated that the farmers’ protests will continue to remain peaceful. “I want to make it clear that what happened at Malout was unfortunate and the farmer unions will not turn violent. We urge those participating in the agitation to show restraint and follow the path of non-violence. We are satyagrahis who endure pain to awaken the consciousness of their opponents,” said Rajewal.

Rajewal said during the farmers’ talks with the government, Union home minister Amit Shah told him to make so many amendments in the new laws so that they turn irrelevant. “He (Shah) said if they withdrew these laws, labour unions and others will also start staging protests. I told him that if we agree for amendments then by doing so we agree to the Centre’s control over state affairs, which was constitutionally wrong,” he claimed.

“But I would like to reiterate on behalf of farmers and Punjabis that 1984 will never occur again. This agitation was and will remain peaceful and hooligans have no place in this in it. If the BJP is stubborn the farmers are equally adamant. We will not back out,” said Rajewal.

Retired bureaucrat SR Laddar said, “We are already discussing farm laws but no one is discussing the new labour laws which are equally dangerous for the labourers.

Former senior bureaucrat SR Ladhar, Prof Manjit Singh, BKU (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) general secretary Lachman Singh Sewewala and labour activist Nodeep Kaur, who remained in jail after being arrested by Haryana Police, were also present on the occasion.