The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against 200 alleged farmer protestors for turning violent and attacking BJP workers during a welcome ceremony for the newly-elected BJP general secretary near the Ghazipur border.
200 unidentified Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) workers have been booked under IPC section 147, 148, 323, 352, 427 and 506 on the complaint of BJP general secretary Amit Valmiki and other party workers.
Valmiki alleged that around 200 BKU workers disrupted the procession held Wednesday noon on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway with black flags, sticks, swords and revolvers.
The procession reportedly passed from the same area where the protesting farmers have been camping since November 2020 resulting in a brawl between the two parties.
The protestors are said to have vandalized the cars, attacked BJP workers and hurled casteist slurs.
https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1410198816297529347?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwPresident of the BJP’s Ghaziabad unit Sanjeev Sharma revealed, “There were about 300-400 workers including 20-25 women…We were on the other side of the expressway (Delhi-Ghaziabad carriageway), near the starting point of the Hindon elevated road. The farmers were on the other side in their camps. Suddenly, hundreds of them attacked us.”
Following the attack, Valmiki registered an official police complaint at Kaushambi police station.
BKU blames BJP
The Bhartiya Kisan Union on the other hand claim that the entire episode was a conspiracy by the ruling BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to delegitimize their seven-month-old protest against the three Farm Bills. The BKU claimed that it was BJP workers who had started raising anti-protest slogans and when stopped by farmer protestors, they had attacked the farmers.
https://twitter.com/OfficialBKU/status/1410135792769323008?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwOn Wednesday, Rakesh Tikait, the self-acclaimed leader of the farmers also accused the BJP of planning caste-based riots.
Farmers turn violent in Haryana
We had reported earlier how the farmers camping at Hisar, Hayarana got violent and tried to disrupt a Covid-19 facility inauguration event attended by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in May.
The farmers protesting the Farm Bills had charged at police personnel near a toll close to the event location which resulted in a lathi-charge. The farmers also attacked DSP Abhimanyu, leaving him seriously injured.
The farmers who were protesting near the Ramayan Toll travelled 18 kilometres to ransack the event. They also charged at the security barricades using tractors to pave their way to the event. As per reports, a huge crowd gathered at the site all of a sudden charging at the security forces which resulted in a clash.