The Rakesh Tikait-led and Opposition backed farmers protests is increasingly turning out to be a place where there’s rampant lawlessness. After the infamous Republic Day violence and the subsequent turning into a Covid hotspot and giving birth to the second wave in the rural areas of Punjab and Haryana, the farmers’ protests faced grave accusations of a gangrape of a 26-year-old woman who came all the way from Bengal to participate in the protests with the woman later succumbing to Covid. Now, Tikait and the protests have added yet another feather to his cap, as after the so-called protesters violently attacked policemen, crorepati farmer Tikait attempted to brazen out the violent conduct of his band of protesters.
After reports emerged of two police officers being assaulted by the so-called farmers, Tikait attempted to defend their conduct as he said, “They (the policemen) must have been in civil dress and farmers might have mistaken them for channel people (media) who portray their movement in a bad light. We don’t engage in violence.”
The crorepati farmer tried to sensationalise the issue as he claimed that the police and the government were working in cahoots to instigate farmers. He said, “They can file an FIR (First Information Report) but there should be something to write in it.”
According to Delhi Police, on June 10, two Special Branch officers were assaulted by a group of protesting farmers at Singhu Border. Reportedly, two assistant sub-inspectors of the Special Branch were clicking pictures of the protest after the number of the protesters increased after a fresh batch arrived at Singhu Border from Panipat and hence, were taking stock of the situation at the ground when the alleged attack took place.
One police personnel while speaking to ANI claimed, “A woman came to us and questioned what we were doing there. Then others came and surrounded us. They all seemed to be drunk. They attacked us. My colleague sustained a fracture in his hand. Somehow we managed to save ourselves.” It is not surprising that Tikait attempted to defend a bunch of hooligans and drunkards.
Earlier this year, a shocking incident came to light where a 26-year-old woman who came all the way from Bengal was allegedly gang-raped by two men when she was staying at Tikri’s Kisan Social Army. Unfortunately, days after arriving at the protest site, she contacted Covid and ultimately succumbed to the deadly virus. The so-called leaders of the farmers’ protests tried every trick into the group to brush the incident under the carpet.
The farmers’ protests are increasingly becoming a security threat due to the rampant lawlessness and must be disbanded at the earliest.