West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday denounced the use of tear gas shells against peaceful protesting farmers in Haryana, labeling it as a “brutal assault” orchestrated by the BJP. The incident occurred at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana, where farmers had congregated as part of their “Delhi Chalo” movement.
General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher highlighted the peaceful nature of their protest and criticised the use of tear gas via drones. He asserted that the protests would persist until the government accedes to their demands.
Expressing solidarity with the farmers, Banerjee, in a social media post, questioned the nation”s progress when basic rights are met with such aggression.
“How can our country progress when the farmers are attacked with tear gas shells for fighting for their basic rights? I strongly condemn the brutal assault on our farmers by the BJP,” Banerjee said in a post on X.
The Bengal CM admonished the Centre for its failure to support farmers and laborers, dismissing their PR efforts as mere illusions of progress.
“The Central Govt.”s failure to support farmers and labourers, coupled with futile PR stunts, exposes the illusion of “Viksit Bharat”. Instead of suppressing their protest, BJP must focus on humbling their inflated egos, power-hungry ambitions, and inadequate governance that has harmed our nation,” she added.
The ongoing protests, reminiscent of the anti-farm bills demonstrations, saw around 200 farmer unions and an estimated one lakh farmers from neighboring states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh marching towards the national capital. As tensions escalated, tear gas shells were fired, marking the first instance of violence in these protests.
Videos from the scene depicted chaotic scenes with thick smoke engulfing the area, farmers scrambling for cover, and instances of confrontation between farmers and security personnel. Despite the use of force, the determination of the farmers remained resolute as they pushed forward towards Delhi.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had announced the march to demand the enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum support price for crops. In anticipation of the protests, security measures in Delhi were intensified with multiple layers of barricades and other deterrents deployed at border points.
The Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, one of the farmer groups participating in the protest, said over 10,000 people have already gathered at the Shambhu border point.
