CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly condemned the attack on farmer leader Rakesh Tikait allegedly by the BJP goons. In a statement issued from the party headquarters here on Friday, senior leader of the party and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government was now making vile moves to suppress the farmers' movement through its party goons.
He said that it was the policy of the BJP to intimidate the people in the name of hooliganism and silence them. Cheema said that when the central government came up with the black farm laws to eradicate the farmers, the farmers of the country were struggling on the streets to save their livelihood. "As every vile policy used by the BJP central government to thwart the farmers' movement was not successful, it is now carrying out such attacks to the detriment of the farmer leaders, " he added.
Cheema said that farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was offending the eyes of the BJP's Modi government when he revived the farmers' movement with his zeal and people in large numbers reached the Delhi border overnight in tractor-trolleys. "Even then, it was the policy of the Modi government to attack farmer leader Rakesh Tikait by its goons. The BJP should immediately repeal the black farm laws instead of making such disgusting moves, " he added. Further slamming the Congress government of Rajasthan, Cheema said that it was the connivance of the Congress to end the farmers' movement without any result. He said that when the Congress was aware that the BJP goons could carry out such attacks, they should have been vigilant, but they did not provide security to the farmer leader. Cheema demanded that the government immediately arrest and punish the BJP goons who were indulged in it and carried out the attack.
The AAP leader further said that the democratically elected government was depriving the people of their constitutional rights. Cheema said that today when the farmers across the country were agitating against the Modi government, using their constitutional right; the BJP was trying to defame the farmers. He said that earlier the BJP had tried to defame the farmers by accusing them of being terrorists, Khalistanis, Naxals and others, but when the ploy of the BJP was foiled by the farmers, they were now launching attacks. Cheema said that the Aam Aadmi Party has been opposing the black farm laws brought by the central government from day one. "In the farmers' movement, the Aam Aadmi Party has stood shoulder to shoulder with the farmers and will continue to do so in the future, " he added.