Jind (Haryana): After the local farmers and khap leaders in Haryana's Jhind district, women have come forward to extend their support to Neelam Azad, who was held on December 13 for Parliament security breach. The farmer organisations of Haryana and Punjab are organising mahapanchayats in her support at Ghaso Khurd village amid loud sloganeering.
Azad is now in police custody and a case has been registered against her under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Farmers' organisations are demanding removal of UAPA and Azad's release. Many officials and farmer leaders from the organisation of farmer leader Joginder Singh Ugraha from Punjab have reached Azad's village. According to them, Azad had only asked for a job and had tried to wake up the government from its sleep.
General Secretary Ajay General and members of Punjab Student Union Shaheed Randhawa Committee have also arrived here to hold the mahapanchayat in Ghaso Khurd village in Jind. Research scholar Beant Singh said that they have full support for Azad. Whatever sections have been imposed on her should be removed as soon as possible, Singh said.
Bharatiya Kisan Union State Secretary Ajay Kumar said that lakhs of posts are vacant in the Centre while Haryana is at number one in unemployment. "What Azad did was absolutely right. Every section is protesting against the government but the latter is trying to mislead everyone. I don't believe that she has done anything wrong and should be released. All sections that have been imposed on her should be dropped," he added.
"It is the compulsion of the youth to demand their rights in this way," Kumar said adding that the youth are sitting unemployed despite clearing all the exams. "Although they possess so many degrees, the youth are unemployment. Where will we go? From whom will we demand our rights? The youth have protested several times in the past regarding unemployment. But every time they are either stopped from protesting or their voice is suppressed. We support what Azad did. The youth are forced to demand their rights in this manner. This kind of action is not anyone's hobby but a compulsion," he said.
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