Published 18:57 IST, January 28th 2021
Amarinder Singh slams BJP for holding Congress responsible for tractor rally violence
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh hit out at BJP for holding Congress responsible for the violence that occurred after tractor rally by farmers or Republic Day
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Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday hit out at BJP for holding Congress responsible for the violence that occurred after tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day. Captain Amarinder Singh alleged that the violence had been instigated by supporters and members of BJP in collusion with AAP with the Congress nowhere in the picture.
“Workers and supporters of BJP and AAP, and not the Congress, have been caught on camera waving the Nishan sahib at the Red Fort,” he said.
To prove his point that BJP played a role in orchestrating the violence, he referred to activist Deep Sidhu, whose videos of instigation are viral and alleged Sidhu to be a key aide of BJP MP Sunny Deol, whereas he contended that AAP member Amrik Micky was also spotted at violence site.
Deep Sidhu had earlier stated that he had no association with BJP or MP Sunny Deol, whereas Deol too had clarified on multiple occasions that he is not connected to Sidhu in any manner.
Captain Amarinder asserted that "not a single Congress leader or member was seen at the Red Fort indulging in any kind of lawlessness" while adding that even farmers were not responsible for the violence.
"The Centre should also get a free and fair probe conducted into the possible role of any political party, or even a third country as is being alleged by BJP’s own leaders, to ensure that the guilty are punished and the genuine farmers are not unnecessarily maligned or harassed," he added.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in a press conference on Wednesday stated that Rahul Gandhi instigated the farmers on multiple occasions. Defending his party from BJP's allegations, Captain Amarinder said, "These allegations are nothing but a cover-up attempt by the BJP leader for his own party’s role in the violence, and in fact for their utter failure to manage the situation, which they had created in the first place with the unilateral implementation of the black Farm Laws."
The Chief Minister lashed out at the BJP for accusing Rahul Gandhi of inciting the violence, asking "Did the Congress leader ask anyone to climb Red Fort? He did not. It was BJP and AAP men who did that.” Defending Rahul Gandhi, he said, "Rahul had, in fact, promptly condemned the violence, and made it clear that violence was no solution to the crisis."
"How could I stop peaceful farmers from going to their own national capital to exercise their democratic right of protest," the Chief Minister further said, reacting to Union Minister Prakash Javadekar's statement that the Punjab government failed to stop farmers from joining the Tractor Rally.
Pointing out that the permission for the Tractor Rally was officially given by the Delhi Police and there was no reason for the Punjab government to prevent farmers from joining the rally, he quipped that if there was a ban on the movement of farmers to the Delhi borders, then the central government should have directed their Haryana chief minister to stop them on the way.
18:56 IST, January 28th 2021