Malerkotla: Administration caught in crossfire as farmers’ bodies, BJP exchange barbs

Mahesh Sharma

Malerkotla, April 16

The administration has been facing allegations from both farmers’ unions and the BJP as it tries to maintain law and order near venues of Lok Sabha election-related events being organised by candidates and their supporters during the ongoing election campaigns.

‘Infringing on rights’

• Led by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) district president Kulwinder Singh Bhudan, farmers alleged that the police had infringed on their democratic right to protest peacefully against BJP leaders.
• This, they alleged, was being done at the instance of the state government, which was acting as the “B team” of the BJP.

‘Cops lenient’

• On the other hand, BJP activists — led by district president Aman Thapar — accused the cops of showing leniency towards activists of various bodies, who were allegedly openly threatening BJP leaders in an attempt to stop them from entering villages.
• The activists also tried to disrupt the function, for which prior permission had been taken, Thapar said.

‘Security provided’

All election-related events are videographed by designated government personnel. It is on record that no protester from any organisation was allowed to reach any of the venues, and no lathi-charge was resorted to in order to stop Kissan Union activists from reaching the venue of the BJP function — Gurdev Singh , DSP, Malerkotla

While organisations working for the rights of certain groups — including farmers’ groups, farm labourers’ bodies and trade unions — consider it their right to disrupt events of politicians, the organisers are not ready to accept demonstrations or protests by any organisation in the vicinity of the events.

The police administration — led by SSP Simrat Kaur — claimed to be committed towards their duty to maintaining law and order in the district in general, and venues of political events held in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.

Led by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) district president Kulwinder Singh Bhudan, farmers alleged that the police had infringed on their democratic right to protest peacefully against BJP leaders. This, they alleged, was being done at the instance of the state government, which was acting as the “B team” of the BJP.

Though the Kisan Union leaders could not substantiate their allegations with visuals or other evidence, they alleged that the police had resorted to a lathi-charge on the farmers to stop them from showing black flags to BJP leaders and pose relevant questions to them on Sunday.

“Turbans of some of our activists got removed during the lathi-charge,” Bhudan said. BKU activists burnt an effigy of BJP state vice-president Arvind Khanna near the premises of a BJP office on Monday.

On the other hand, BJP activists — led by district president Aman Thapar — accused the police of showing leniency towards activists of various bodies, who were allegedly openly threatening BJP leaders in an attempt to stop them from entering villages. The activists also tried to disrupt the event, for which prior permission had been taken, Thapar said.

Claiming that the police had made adequate security arrangements for the protection of life and property during the events of various parties, Malerkotla DSP Gurdev Singh denied the charges levelled by both the Kisan Union leaders and the BJP leaders.

“As all election-related events are videographed by designated government personnel, it is on record that no protester from any organisation was allowed to reach any of the venues, and no lathi-chargewas resorted to in order to stop Kisan Union activists from reaching the venue of the BJP function,” Singh said.

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