Amid the ongoing standoff between farmers and Haryana Government over Tohana incident, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha on Friday announced to intensify its protest till an FIR is registered against JJP MLA Devender Singh Babli or he apologizes to the farming community.
Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Chaduni among others, thousands of farmers will gather at Tohana city police station on Saturday for voluntary court arrest.
“A general body meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha was held here and a series of decisions have been taken to intensify our protest against the State Government,” said Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Haryana BKU leader while talking to the mediapersons.
Chaduni said that thousands of farmers will gather at Tohana city police station on Saturday for voluntary court arrest. This voluntary court arrest will continue till our demands are met, he said.
The farmer leader said that all those farmers who have been arrested by Tohana police for protesting against the MLA should be released. Today also, one farmer was arrested, he said.
Appealing to the protesting farmers, to ensure that agitation continues in a peaceful manner, Chaduni said that it has also been decided to hold peaceful protest outside all police stations across Haryana on June 7 from 12 noon to 4 pm.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has also decided that BJP-JJP MLAs in Haryana will not be stopped during their personal visits and protest against them will be held during government's functions only from now onwards. Earlier, the farmers union had announced to hold a protest to boycott BJP-JJP MLAs across the state over the issue of three central farm laws.
After reports of rift within the leaders of farmers' unions, the Sanyukh Kisan Morcha maintained that there is no rift and farmers will continue their protest against the government.
The farmers' associations have demanded that “Babli should apologise” and “the police should also withdraw the case lodged against some farmers in connection with Tuesday’s incident.”
A group of farmers had protested against JJP MLA Devender Singh Babli in Tohana and have accused him of using abusive language against them. However, Babli, who is MLA from Tohana has denied the charges and instead accused the protesting farmers of launching a murderous attempt on him during their protest.
Babli had a day before met Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and apprized him about the incident.
Notably, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Thursday directed the Deputy Commissioners to take action against those taking law into their own hands.
Reacting to the ongoing farmers' protest against Babli, Khattar had said that the government has never objected to anyone holding peaceful movement, but if somebody intentionally disturbs law and order in the name of any movement, then certainly this will be tolerated.