'Khalistani elements' hijacking farmers’ agitation, Amit Shah must act fast: Ravneet Bittu

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 2

Congress leader and party MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday said the ongoing farmers’ agitation was being hijacked by vested interests and urged the government to immediately resolve matters at hand. 

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He asked Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and take control of the situation.

“The agitation has gone out of control. My appeal to farmer leaders is to get its hold back. All kinds of undesirable elements have entered the protests which are genuine farmer protests,” Bittu told The Tribune today.

He said people “whose protests have failed in the past – be it those who sat in agitation at Shaheen Bagh or a section of students who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act and also some Khalistani elements have penetrated the ongoing protests.”

Terming the current farmers' agitation “leaderless”, Bittu said he was concerned that the situation “might flare up unless immediately controlled.”

“In Punjab where the farmers were on an agitation for long, the state government ensured law and order and did not allow the protests to get diluted. But here around Delhi undesirable elements have come. They have set up platforms independent of farmers whose protests and concerns are genuine. The situation is getting volatile as attempts are being made to exploit farmers’ protests. I urge Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene,” Bittu said.

He said long traffic jams all across Delhi’s borders with other states were swelling up with “shades of protesters who have past unresolved issues with the Centre.”

“Government of India can take help from the Punjab government if needed but it must take note of the situation brewing on the ground,” Bittu, Congress whip in Lok Sabha, adding that “anyone can spoil this agitation.”

He urged the Centre to consider a rollback of farm laws in the interest of farmers' community.

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