PM must intervene and talk to farmers, says Gehlot and demands judicial inquiry

Pointing out that farmers had spearheaded a completely peaceful protest for over four months against the farm laws, the Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday demanded a judicial inquiry to unravel the truth behind the sudden violence in Delhi on Republic Day and what happened at the Red Fort.

Bharatiya Janata Party workers and supporters are being accused by various quarters for instigating the violence and for engineering the clash between the police and farmers. Videos have surfaced which show active BJP leaders and supporters also. The agitation was mishandled either deliberately or otherwise and allowed to take a violent turn, Gehlot said.

“It was the duty of the government and the police to talk to farmers and explain the route and the modalities agreed upon. While the majority of the farmers took the designated route and remained peaceful, how could a small group break away and how were they allowed to deviate from the route and enter Delhi, he asked. This called for an inquiry and the nation, he said, was entitled to know the truth. Stating that violence had no place in a democracy, the chief minister deplored the violence and alleged that anti-social elements were allowed to infiltrate the ranks of the farmers.

He also said that the farm bills were not discussed threadbare in Parliament and merits and demerits of the farm Bills were not allowed to be studied by the Government. Instead, they were passed in a great hurry. The farms Bills, therefore, need to be repealed and a fresh Bill should be introduced after consulting experts and various stakeholders, he said.

The time has come for the Prime Minister to intervene and he should talk to the farmers and find out a solution, the chief minister added. “The agitation cannot go on like this,” he said and wondered why no solution could be found in the last four months since September when the laws were passed.

The prolonged unrest by farmers was bad for the country and a solution must be found, he asserted.