NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress leaders including president Chaudhary Anil Kumar were reportedly turned away from the farmers' protest site at Ghazipur on Monday. They went there to support the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the farmers union.
The Congress leaders met Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and sat at the site in support of the agitation. However, the representatives of the unions asked them to leave or to sit somewhere else and suggested that they hold demonstrations in the national capital.
They also told the Delhi Congress chief not to politicize the farmers’ protest and use their platform to get political mileage.
Speaking to media persons, Kumar said that he was leaving but his party would protest on streets.
"I can understand their position. Congress will protest on the streets. If they want us to leave, we will return. We came here for farmers and there is no political agenda," he said.
The president of the women’s wing of the Congress in Delhi Amrita Dhawan, however, denied that her party colleagues were asked to go away.
"They requested us to put shirts on the other side of the place. They welcomed us and we met Rakesh Tikat also. We extended our support to farmers there. The issue has been taken out of context," said Dhawan. She was also part of the Congress group which met Tikait.
Terming the incident insignificant, Dhawan criticized the Central government for the prolonged impasse.
“It doesn't matter what we were told or not. What matters is the larger question on why the Prime Minister can’t visit farmer protest sites. If he can visit Central vista the night before, why can’t he hold a meeting with farmers’ union leaders? Why can’t he take a step to finish the deadlock? The government hell bent on diverting the narrative,” said she.