New Delhi: Will the violent protests during the tractor rally on Republic Day break the unity of farmers who have been agitating against the contentious farm laws for two months?
In a first sign of division among them, two farmers’ unions — All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) — said on Wednesday they were pulling out of the protests.
“We can’t carry forward a protest with someone whose direction is something else. So, I wish them the best but All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee is withdrawing from this protest right away,” VM Singh of AIKSCC. “The protest will continue until we get MSP guarantee, but the protest will not go on in this form with me. We have not come here to get people martyred or beaten up.”
BKU president Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh was left deeply pained by the turn of events on Tuesday which culminated in some farmers storming the Red Fort and hoisting their flag.
“I am deeply pained by whatever happened in Delhi yesterday and ending our 58-day protest,” he announced.
As many as 153 police personnel were injured, of whom two are in ICU, as rioting farmers broke barriers at several places, clashed with police, vandalised vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of Red Fort.
A protester died after his tractor overturned near ITO.
