The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday accused the Centre of "conspiring" with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) against the farmers’ “peaceful” agitation against the three contentious farm laws. The SKM’s statement came a day after massive violence broke out in Delhi during the farmers’ tractor parade against the laws on Republic Day.
“Most of farmer organisations who are part of the ongoing farmers’ agitation today held a meeting under chairmanship of Balbir Singh Rajewal. Sincere appreciation was conveyed to struggling farmers for extending an unprecedented response to Kisan Republic Day parade,” news agency ANI quoted the SKM as saying, in a statement.
“The concerned organisations discussed the violent incidents in New Delhi and concluded that the Union government has 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 who had set up their own protest site after 15 days of the beginning of this farmers’ agitation. They were not part of the organisations which jointly undertook the struggle,” the statement further said.
{{/usCountry}}“The concerned organisations discussed the violent incidents in New Delhi and concluded that the Union government has 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 who had set up their own protest site after 15 days of the beginning of this farmers’ agitation. They were not part of the organisations which jointly undertook the struggle,” the statement further said.
{{/usCountry}}The SKM is an umbrella organisation of several farmers’ unions which have been leading protests against the farm laws since last November. The tractor parade on Republic Day was announced on January 2 and, last week, the Delhi Police gave a go ahead after several rounds of talks with farmers’ leaders, who repeatedly assured that the march would be a “peaceful” one. The permission was given with several restrictions, including march from one route each from the three borders - Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur - which have emerged as the epicentre of these protests.
However, the KMSC leaders insisted on carrying out the rally on Delhi's Outer Ring Road, as demanded originally by the SKM. The night before the rally, they decided to march on the Ring Road, despite not getting permission from the police.
The SKM has also pointed fingers at actor Deep Sidhu, who was reportedly present at the KMSC meeting on Monday night. Sidhu, once an aide of Bollywood actor and now BJP MP Sunny Deol, was among the protesters who unfurled a religious flag at the Red Fort on Tuesday. His photo with Deol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also went viral post the Republic Day violence.