5 min readLudhianaFeb 24, 2024 10:29 PM IST
First published on: Feb 23, 2024 at 06:23 PM IST
While the Centre plans its next move to negotiate with the protesting farmers, BJP leaders in Punjab have been increasingly breaking their silence on the matter, voicing their support and making attempts to bring the farmers’ concerns to the Union government’s attention.
The move by the leaders comes amidst the crackdown by the BJP-led Haryana government on the protesting farmers, to prevent them from making their way to Delhi as part of their agitation. The death of a 22-year-old, Shubhkaran Singh, in injuries received during the protests has further complicated matters for the party.
On Friday, as farmer unions leading the march declared a “black day” over the death, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, who has been attacking the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government over the protests, shared his condolences on the incident and indirectly criticised the Haryana government.
Calling Shubhkaran’s death “very painful”, Jakhar demanded a thorough investigation. “I demand strictest action against those responsible to prevent recurrence of such (a) mishap again because there are thousands of our Shubhkarans at (the) protest site even today. Both sides must remember,” he said.
Jakhar added that “governments and security forces must observe restraint and sensitivity to allow peaceful protests” while “farmer organisations must also channelise passions and energy of our youngsters in the right direction”.
Ahead of the fourth round of talks between the Centre and farmers on February 18, Jakhar had an informal meeting with Union Minister of Agriculture Arjun Munda on the sidelines of the BJP’s National Council meeting in New Delhi, where he is said to have raised the issue.
Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Amarinder Singh, who had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bid to resolve the dispute, said: “I pray to Waheguru ji for an early resolution to the farmers’ protest so that they all can come back to their families safely.” After meeting Modi, along with his daughter and Punjab BJP Mahila morcha president Jai Inder Kaur, Amarinder had said the PM was “deeply concerned about the farmers”.
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Both Jakhar and Amarinder, incidentally, were in the Congress earlier, and very vocal in support of the farmers during the year-long agitation led by them against the three Central farm laws, forcing the Modi government to scrap them.
It was six days after the farmers gave their ‘Dilli Chalo’ call that Punjab BJP leaders broke their silence for the first time on the protest. It coincided with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), the largest farmer union of Punjab, starting day-night dharnas outside the houses of senior BJP leaders, including Jakhar, Amarinder, and BJP working committee member Kewal Dhillon (also a former Congress leader) “to condemn the Union and Haryana government’s role in repressing the farmers”.
In his first statement, Jakhar said the farmers had to beware “mediators” using them as “pawns”, in what was seen as a veiled attack on Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, who had been roped in by the Centre to talk to the farmers. At the same, Jakhar said, he understood that “farmers were in distress” and had all the right to protest, including outside his house.
Jakhar has opened his house doors for the protesting farmers to use the toilet, while Dhillon has put up a poster outside his house welcoming them.
Incidentally, this is a far cry from the 2020-21 farm agitation, when there had been confrontations between BJP leaders and farmers protesting outside their homes. Many BJP leaders had also supported the farm laws and argued that Congress or AAP workers were protesting against them in the guise of farmers. The anger against the BJP had forced the Akalis to end their long partnership with the BJP, and wiped the two out in the 2022 Assembly polls.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar (left) and Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Amarinder Singh (right) 
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