Farmers burn PM Modi's effigy in Jalandhar, block roads to site of rally

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 5

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee today burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his visit to Punjab and blocked the passage of BJP leaders from Jalandhar heading to his rally venue at Ferozepur.

District president of the union Salwinder Singh Janian and district secretary Gurmel Singh Rerwan held a demonstration against the PM at Sutlej bridge near Shahkot. The farmers tried to block the passage of the BJP workers going by buses and private cars and also showed them the black flags.

The farmers have been protesting over their pending demands, including Rs 5 lakh to the families of those who passed away during the protests at the Delhi borders, assured guarantee for 23 crops, proper compensation to the farmers whose land falls on the proposed Delhi-Katra Expressway and implementation of Dr Swaminathan report.

The BJP workers have alleged that the farmers did not just block their passage but also used aggression against them at some places. Jalandhar Rural BJP chief Amarjit Singh Amri said: “The farmers blocked our passage at Zira. They tore our party flags put up on the vehicles. They even pulled off our banners. While we tried to avoid any confrontation with them and kept sitting inside waiting for the police to get our passage cleared, they opened the doors of our cars and used abusive language against us. They were carrying bamboo rods in their hands to scare us. Even the cops were mute spectators to entire episode.”

He rued, “There were 30 buses that we were taking to the venue but none could reach. The cars could take the diversion via villages but the buses got stuck about 15 km ahead of the venue.”

BJP man, whose video went viral, has arm fractured

As everyone saw the video of PM’s convoy getting blocked by the protesting farmers in Ferozepur on Wednesday, only a few people know that it was actually shot by Jalandhar-based leader Amit Taneja, who is also the state’s IT cell in-charge. Taneja had been following the PM’s convoy and when he saw the disturbance, he immediately took out his phone and went live on FB from the site after parking his car by the roadside. “We saw the PM’s convoy returning back. At that time, we did not know that it had been decided that he was going back to the airport. We thought that they had taken another route. We decided to follow the same route and went ahead and asked the farmers to give us the passage. A clash started and we got injured. My arm got fractured. Ramesh, BJP worker who was accompanying me, was hit on his head and he bled a lot. We had to hospitalise him”.

Arrangements for visitors not proper at rally: Makkar

BJP leaders were themselves seen criticising the arrangements at the PM’s rally. Even though there had been prediction of heavy rain today, the organisers did not try to ensure proper tents at the venue. Ex-MLA Sarabjeet Makkar said: “The venue should have been properly covered but was kept open. No one can sit in the tents for hours, especially when it is raining. The weather is already cold and no worker wants to get wet. Obviously, the chairs were to go empty.”

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.