BKU (Krantikari) says they had no plans to block PM Modi’s way

The ultra-Left farm organisation BKU (Krantikari) general secretary said their sit-in was pre-planned and not aimed at blocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy

Activists of ultra-Left farm organisation Bhartiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) staged the sit-in on the Moga-Ferozepur highway that blocked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade on Wednesday.

BKU (Krantikari) general secretary Baldev Singh Zira said they were not aware that the PM would travel by road as he was supposed to reach the rally venue by a helicopter. (PTI)

While taking the responsibility for the protest on PM cavalcade’s route, organisation’s general secretary Baldev Singh Zira said, “We were not aware that PM would travel by road as we were told, he would reach the rally site by a helicopter. We were already protesting on the spot and came to know about the PM’s journey only after his cavalcade had taken a U-turn,” he said, adding around 500-600 farmers were at the protest site.

Sources in different farm organisations, however, said that the plan was to stage a sit-in outside DC offices in the districts against PM’s visit, however, as news of PM travelling to the rally venue by road spread, activists of BKU (Krantikari) blocked the highway on a flyover near the Piareana village.

An office-bearer of a farm body on the condition of anonymity said, “They (BKU Krantikari) should have shown restraint and waited for the January 15 meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for further course of action,” he said.

BKU (Krantikari) has some influence in pockets of Zira, Ferozpur and Rampura Phul area. Surjit Singh Phul, who heads the organization, was not available for a comment. Phul was booked under the sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and had remained in jail for almost five years.

According to Zira, the protest was planned for not accepting the demand for formation of a committee on minimum support price (MSP) that PM had promised when he made announcement for repeal of the three farm laws in November last year.

“There is no action against the accused in Lakhimpur Kheri incident, rather two farmers have been arrested. The government has not dismissed the (Union minister of state for home) Ajay Mishra from the cabinet, despite his son Ashish Mishra being chargesheeted,” he added.