'Arrest' Delhi police if they come for you: Farmer leader

Addressing a kisan mahapanchayat, the Haryana President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union urged farmers to "arrest" the Delhi Police if they come to arrest you.

Hisar (Haryana): The Bharatiya Kisan Union's Haryana president Gurnam Singh Chaduni on Thursday courted controversy as he urged farmers to "arrest" the Delhi Police if the cops come to arrest them.

Addressing a kisan mahapanchayat in Haryana's Hisar district, Chaduni said, "When our people went to Delhi to participate in the tractor parade, they received thousands of notices from Delhi Police. If someone goes to Delhi, he is stopped in Delhi."

Chaduni further urged the farmers not to go to Delhi if summoned by the Delhi Police.

"You do not have to go to the Delhi police. Complaints are coming from many places that the Delhi Police arrested farmers and took them away. If Delhi Police comes to arrest you, then you should arrest the Delhi Police. Do not let them go back from the village," Chaduni added.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi's borders against the legislations since November 28 last year and demanding these be repealed.

Read:Farmers to gather support in Karnataka and Maharashtra

Farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The three farm laws, enacted in September last year, have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain.

Read:Another protesting farmer dies at Singhu border