Day 217
Toll 528+
#FarmersProtest
Ruckus
The Ghazipur protest site is on top of the flyover and below it. The protesters have left one side of the road – Delhi exit – open. Normally traffic moves at high speed on that side of the road, some vehicles slow down to take a closer look at protests.
For the past few days now, on the pretext of welcoming a BJP leader Amit Valmiki, several BJP-RSS workers and supporters have been climbing the road next to the protest stage. They have also raised slogans against the farmers’ movement, calling farmers gaddar, anti national, Khalistani and terrorists. Yesterday, they also beat drums to drown out the stage proceedings and indulged in stone-pelting onto the morcha stage.
There was absolutely no justification to welcome the BJP leader at this location. That too for three days. The BJP did this only to instigate a clash with the protesting farmers. Farmers objected and confronted them with black flags. Farmers insisted on the BJP workers leaving the place. Police remained mute spectators throughout. In the ensuing clash, at least 5 farmers were injured.
The BJP is clearly trying to bring in discord and disturbance by dividing people on caste and religion lines. The allegations of weapons being found, and vehicles being damaged are obviously, political diversionary tactics. A complaint has been lodged by the protesting farmers at the local police station.
Khori village is located on the Faridabad-Delhi border. After an 11-years legal battle, on June 7 the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of thousands of homes and eviction of dwellers with no compensation whatsoever. The SKM decided to conduct a Mahapanchayat at the village yesterday. Before the Mahapanchayat, the police indulged in heavy lathi charged on the resident labour.
Several activists were arrested, beaten and released last night. They are: Rajveer Kaur, Ravinder Singh, Sanjay Maurya, Satya Veer Singh, Sahil Saifi, Lukman and Narendra Singh. SKM is in solidarity with the residents of Khori village and will prevent their eviction.
Yesterday, under the leadership of farmer leader Tajinder Singh Virk, a large number of farmers reached the Bahedi toll of Bareilly district and the toll has been made free.