Farmers not anti-national, Red Fort violence orchestrated by BJP: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perpetrated the violence that took place on Republic Day at Red Fort during farmers' tractor rally.

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh):Extending support to the farmers agitating against the three farm laws, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers of perpetrating the violence during the farmers' tractor rally on last Republic Day.

Protesters broke barricades to enter New Delhi and clashed with police in several parts of the national capital during the January 26 'tractor rally' protest organised by the farmers. The protestors had also entered the iconic Mughal era monument Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.

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Speaking at a public rally in Meerut, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "The entire Red Fort incident was planned by them. Many people told me that they (demonstrators) were deliberately shown the wrong path as they did not know the streets of Delhi. Those who hoisted the flag were their (BJP) workers. Our farmers can be anything but anti-nationals."

He went on to accuse the central government of filing cases against farmers for carrying out "anti-national activities". "Today, BJP's central government has filed cases against farmers for carrying out anti-national activities. Even Britishers did not have this courage. They call our farmers terrorists," the AAP chief said. Cornering the government for not withdrawing the farm laws, Kejriwal called the laws a "death warrant" for farmers.

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"Centre's three farm laws are death warrant for farmers. The government wants to take away their lands and give them to three to four capitalists. Farmers will become labourers in their own fields, that is why it is a do or die situation for farmers," he said. Drawing parallels between the BJP and the erstwhile British rulers of India, he said the even the former coloniser did not oppress our farmers to this extent.

"Even Britishers did not oppress our farmers to this extent, they did not fix nails on the ground. This government has left behind the Britishers," he said. Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

ANI

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