On 19th February, Rozana Times, a YouTube-based Punjabi news channel, published an interview of a “farmer” protesting at the Shambhu border, recorded last week. In the interview, when the farmer was asked for comments on Haryana CM’s request to take trains to reach Delhi, the farmer asked why wealthy farmers with AC tractors and VIP rooms on trolleys would take trains. Furthermore, he called actor-turned-leader Deep Sidhu “Bhindranwale without Kesh”. Deep Sidhu, a prominent leader of Farmer Protests 1.0, died in a road accident in February 2022.
The ‘farmer’ accepted that the number of protesters is far less during farmer protests 2.0 compared to the previous protests. He blamed farmer leaders for ending the protests in 2021, and asserted people are not coming forward to participate in the protests.
BJP government attacked farmers as they have no ground for elections
The “farmer” further claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost ground for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He asserted the action taken against the farmers was because no one was following PM Modi, Haryana CM Khattar, and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. “They do not have any ground. That is why they are getting under the skins of the farmers,” he said. He then claimed that if voting for the Lok Sabha takes place on ballot papers instead of EVMs, PM Modi will not get a single vote.
Don’t mess with Punjabis as they hold grudges
The farmer said that the central government should not mess with the Punjabis as they hold grudges. He cited an example of an alleged conversation between the then-Governor of Punjab and then-Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. He said, “The governor had warned Indira not to mess with the Punjabis as they hold grudges. Even if they return after 50 years, they will take revenge.” He then warned the central and Haryana governments not to mess with the “peaceful” protesters.
I will be booked if I say anything about the Punjab government
The farmer initially refused to say anything about the role of the Punjab government in ongoing farmer protests. He asserted that if he said anything, he would be booked, and then police would reach his place.
Citing actor-turned-leader Deep Sidhu, he claimed that the central and Punjab governments are no different. He used the idiom “Together like Ghee Khichdi” and called the AAP-led state government B-Team of BJP. He questioned how AAP forms government in states where people are educated, and BJP forms government in states where people are illiterate. He asserted that BJP fields AAP to lead in states where people are educated and lead those states where people are not educated.
He expressed dismay over the defeat of Lakha Sadhana, a gangster-turned-politician. He said, “Thousands of people gathered for Bhaana Sidhu. Lakha Sidhana was the ‘Guru’ of Sidhu. Then, explain how Lakha Sidhana was defeated [in the Assembly elections]. How was elder Badal defeated?”
For the unaware, Sadhana contested the Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 as an independent, where he secured 28,091 votes but lost the election to Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate, Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, who secured 63,099 votes. As per an affidavit filed by Sidhana during the Assembly Elections, there were 14 pending cases against him, and in two cases, he was convicted. Sidhana also tried his hands in politics in the 2012 elections but failed. Recently, he was seen instigating farmers to join the protests.
He added, “If AAP was not the B-Team of BJP, the Chief Minister of Punjab would have come to the border and taken stock of our situation. He would have warned the Haryana government not to touch the farmers; otherwise, he would have asked us to counter.”
Wealthy farmers don’t take train
The reporter asked the farmer about the request made by the Chief Minister of Haryana to use public transport like trains to reach Delhi instead of using heavy vehicles. He said, “Why should we go by train? We are Jatt Zamindars. We have land, cars and 15 lakh worth of AC tractors. We have built VIP AC rooms on our trolleys. Sardar rule here. This is not Bengal. Why should we take trains where ‘Bhaiyye’ [people from UP and Bihar] spit and have no toilets?”
Deep Sidhu was Bhindranwale without Kesh
The farmer spoke volumes of Deep Sidhu, and called him “Bhindranwale without Kesh and turban”. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a Khalistani terrorist who the Indian Army neutralised during Operation Blue Star. Bhindranwale was responsible for the Punjab insurgency from the late 1970s to the late 1990s.
Deep Sidhu was a pro-Khalistani leader. He was actively involved in farmer protests 1.0 and played a vital role in hoisting an alien flag at Red Fort on Republic Day in 2021. He formed an organisation ‘Waris Punjab De‘ which was later taken over by pro-Khalistani Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh after Sidhu’s death.
Why are farmers protesting
The farmers are protesting to get their demands fulfilled by the Union Government, including a legal guarantee of MSP, implementation of Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and labourers, debt waiver, no hike in electricity traffic, withdrawal of police cases, reinstatement of Land Acquisition Act, 2012, compensation for the families of farmers who allegedly died during 2020-21 farmer protests and more.