NEW DELHI: BJP workers and the farmers protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws clashed at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Wednesday.
The ruckus took place when the BJP workers were carrying out a procession on a flyway where the farm law protesters, chiefly supporters of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, have been camping since November 2020, according to eyewitnesses.
While farmer leaders claimed that it was an attempt by the BJP to “instigate” the protesters, the party workers said the deliberate blocking of roads is a matter of great concern.
Videos and pictures surfaced on social media, purportedly showing some damaged vehicles which were part of a cavalcade of a BJP politician, Amit Valmiki, for whose welcome the procession was being held.
The BJP supporters later staged a protest near the office of the local police chief demanding immediate action against the farmers.
“The BJP is clearly trying to bring in discord and disturbance in some way or the other, including dividing people into caste and religion lines. These dirty tactics of the BJP-RSS are well-known and farmers will strongly resist the same,” said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha in a statement.
According to farmers, they objected when they saw the BJP workers, carrying party flags, gathering at the protest site around noon.
In retaliation, the farmers also showed flags to the BJP workers and that led to an altercation.
According to the SKM, on the pretext of welcoming Valmiki, several BJP-RSS workers and supporters came to the Ghazipur border and went close to the stage set up for the staging protest.
They also raised slogans against the movement.
The party worker also allegedly called the farmers “traitors”, “anti-nationals” and “Khalistanis”.
SKM spokesperson Jagtar Singh Bajwa claimed that the farmers at the Ghazipur border informed the district administration and government officials to remove the party workers as they were creating a ruckus in the name of a welcome rally.
“They misbehaved with farmers and themselves damaged their vehicles as part of a conspiracy,” Bajwa said.