‘Not going to war’: Farmers’ leader calls for peaceful protest

“We have been holding a peaceful agitation at Delhi’s borders. The agitation is peaceful today as well,” Rajewal, the president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), said.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Saturday alleged that there was a “conspiracy” to provoke the farmers protesting at the Singhu border, adding that they would not indulge in any violence.

Rajewal’s comments come against the backdrop of the police and protesters clashing at the Singhu border after a group, claiming to be locals, pelted the protesters with stones.(ANI)

“We have been holding a peaceful agitation at Delhi’s borders. The agitation is peaceful today as well,” Rajewal, the president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), told reporters here.

Stressing on the need to protest peacefully, Rajewal said, “I appeal to people to join the peaceful protest (in Delhi) but don’t do anything even under the sway of emotions if someone tries to instigate you. We should keep in mind that we are not going to war. This is our country and our government.”

Rajewal’s comments come against the backdrop of the police and protesters clashing at the Singhu border after a group, claiming to be locals, pelted the protesters with stones.

Asserting that “local people” were with the farmers, Rajewal alleged those behind the Singhu border incident were “BJP and RSS people”. “The government is trying to provoke us for violence. We will not indulge in any violence. We are alert to prevent any violence,” he said.

Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders for the last 65 days in protest against Centre’s three new farm laws, which, they say, will erode their bargaining power, weaken a system of assured prices, and leave them vulnerable to exploitation by big agri-businesses.

The government has maintained that the laws aim to ease restrictions on farm trade by setting up free markets, allow traders to stockpile food for future sales and lay down a framework for contract farming.

(With agency inputs)