Farmers show black flags to Sukhbir Badal in Hisar over Moga incident

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 16

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal faced protest by farmers at the Mayyar toll plaza in Hisar district on Thursday.

The farmers identified his cavalcade and briefly blocked the toll plaza to show black flags when Sukhbir was on the way to Delhi from Punjab.

SAD BACKED AGRI BILLS

The SAD had earlier backed the Agriculture Bills. Later, its MPs quit the Modi Cabinet and walked out of the NDA in protest against these Bills apparently under farmers’ pressure. — Kuldeep Kharar, Farmer Leader

The protesting farmers said that the double standards of the SAD leader over the ongoing farmers’ agitation had been exposed as the party had supported the BJP in Parliament when the three agriculture Bills were introduced in the House.

Now, the farmers were lathicharged in Moga when they were staging demonstration during a public meeting of Sukhbir Badal on September 2.

A group of farmers sitting on dharna at the toll plaza in Mayyar village on NH-9, about 10 km from Hisar town, spotted Sukhbir’s cavalcade today.

The protesting farmers, including women, briefly blocked the toll passage and stood along both sides of the passage for vehicles carrying black flags in their hands. They raised anti-SAD slogans demanding scrapping of three agriculture laws.

The local police assisted the security personnel escorting the SAD leader and placated the protesters to give way to the cavalcade.

Farmers leader Kuldeep Kharar said that Sukhbir should express regret over the lathicharge on farmers at Moga as five farmers had been hurt in the police action.

“The SAD had earlier supported the Agriculture Bills. Later, its MPs resigned from the Modi Cabinet and walked out of the NDA in protest against these Bills apparently under farmers’ pressure,” Kharar said.

“We will continue to stage protest against him until he tenders an apology on the Moga incident,” the farmer leader said.

Many leaders including Haryana Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa, MLAs Kamal Gupta, Jogiram Sihag had faced protest by farmers at the toll plaza where the farmers have been holding dharna for nearly nine months.

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