DM Monitoring
Jalandhar: With the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) announcing six candidates for the 2024 parliamentary elections in Punjab, agitated farmers too have opened the front against the saffron party and started putting up posters blocking the entry of BJP leaders in their villages. Punjab goes to polls on June 1.
While most of the banners were being put up by various farmers’ unions on their own, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) – leading farmers’ protests at Shambhu and Khanauri borders – too released a separate poster criticising BJP’s ‘vandalism’ against farmers. The SKM (non-political) and KKM have dedicated their poster to young farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was allegedly shot dead by security forces at Khanauri border while farmers were protesting for the legal guarantee of MSP on February 21.
In most villages, farmers have been putting up posters with slogans like ‘Kisana da Delhi jana band hai, BJP da Pinda vich auna band hai (Farmers are barred from entering Delhi, BJP is banned from entering villages)’ issued by the BKU (Ekta Dakaunda), Bhucho Khurd, Bathinda district.
Another banner by BKU Ekta, Sidhupur was dedicated to Shubhkaran and placed in several villages. The poster titled: ‘Mera ki Kasur si….! (What was my fault? I was merely coming (to Delhi) remind you (Modi government) of your promises).’ Not just posters, even videos of people questioning the Modi government from Punjab’s villages have gone viral on Facebook and Instagram.
Asserting that there is a growing discontent and anger among farmers in the wake of the Haryana government’s iron fist policy against this year’s farmers’ protest, BKU Krantikari general secretary Baldev Singh Zira said, “The way Shubhkaran Singh was killed, tear gas shells and pellets were used against the farmers leading to severe injuries, people are not just angry but they have decided to boycott the BJP altogether. People are expressing their anger against the saffron party and putting up such posters everywhere.”
