Chhavi Bhatia
Chandigarh—The Samyukta Kisan Morcha lashed out at Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday for making baseless allegations against the farmers’ protest, saying this was one of the many tactics to defame the peaceful agitation. In a press conference held on Wednesday, Khattar had said that the sacrosanct image of kisan was sullied because of a rape and a murder at the protest site.
SKM member Abhimanyu Singh Kuhar criticised the CM for spreading lies to weaken the movement and to turn the public that has been supporting the farmers, against them. Refuting Khattar’s statement that women’s dignity was being harmed, violent crimes were taking place at agitation venues and farmers were harassing locals by blocking roads, he said, “These are the BJP government’s tactics to slander us. They have tried earlier too to dent the morcha because it continues to grow in strength and number. They think if they keep on telling lies, people will believe them.”
Asserting that women protesters at the farmers’ protest were secure, Kuhar said that farmer leaders have taken it upon themselves to provide a safe environment to them. “We want to inform the Haryana CM that the SKM has formed Internal Complaints Committee(ICC) at all the protest sites to address complaints of harassment, if any. We have provided a free and fair platform to women and girls where they can air grievances without feeling intimidated,” he stated. Referring to the case of alleged sexual assault of a woman activist from West Bengal, the youth leader said, “The SKM has reiterated to the victim’s father that they will help the family in their fight for justice. Farmers know how to respect women. We don’t need lessons from the BJP.”
Denying that a farmer was murdered at Tikri border, Kuhar stated that the man died by suicide. A man in his 30s had immolated himself at Tikri last week. “The farmers had, in fact, tried to save him. Before dying, the man could be heard pleading to them to not save him,” he claimed. Kuhar added that the ruling party has been sending its party workers to the protest to provoke them. Referring to the Ghazipur incident of Wednesday where farmers clashed with BJP supporters, he said, “These people come and raise anti-farmer slogans to provoke us. We have been sitting here peacefully and even the local people are supporting the farmers. Outsiders come here to create trouble.”
