Farmer unions must take responsibility of R-Day violence: BJP

BJP leaders said that farmer unions must take the responsibility of violence that rocked the national capital during the tractor rally today. BJP has accused that few anti-social elements having vested interests hijacked the protests.

New Delhi: Hours after the protesting farmers swarmed the Red Fort in New Delhi during a 'tractor rally' on the Republic Day, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the farmer unions must take the responsibility of the violence.

BJP national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal condemned the violence at Red fort and various border points and said that farmer unions must take responsibility of whatever happened today.

He said, "Delhi Police had alerted that few anti-national, leftists and anti-social elements have hijacked the protests and can erupt violence on R-Day. Tractor rally should not have been organised on Republic Day but they did not listen to the government and the police."

He accused the farmers of taking out the tractor rally despite the government agreeing to suspend the farm laws for 1.5 years in the eleventh round of talks between the farmer unions and the government. Agarwal said that this will not benefit the farmers and this violence was done for vested interests.

READ:Injured cops, farmers being treated at the same hospital after clashes

The BJP leader also hit out at Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav and other Left leaders for disassociating themselves from the protests, demanding that Delhi police must trace the source of violence.

Agarwal said, "The leaders supporting the protesting farmers have now distanced themselves and they must take the onus of today's violence. But they are playing victim cards."

BJP leader and former Delhi party President Manoj Tiwari said that tractor rally was misused and violent protestors tried to run tractor on police officers.

Tiwari went on to add, "Many police officers were beaten up and barricades breached using innocent farmers as a cover and thereby shaming the nation. The matter must be dealt with in a serious manner."

READ:Haryana raises alert after farmers protest in Delhi