BJP faces farmers’ wrath: Union minister Sanjeev Balyan forced to abandon plan to meet villagers in UP

Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, who is also an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case, was forced to abandon a meeting with Khap leaders in Shamli district on Sunday in the face of protests by farmers.

Balyan and other BJP leaders including Suresh Rana had to beat a hasty retreat from Bhainswal village where they had gone to “educate farmers about the benefits of the newly enacted farm laws”.

Farmers started shouting slogans against Balyan as soon as he arrived in the village, where the headquarters of the Battisa Khap is located.

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Those who were present at the village told National Herald that Balyan, along with other influential Jat leaders belonging to the saffron party, reached Bhainswal village at around 4.30 pm on Sunday.

“They had come to talk to the Khap leaders about the ‘benefits’ of the new laws. As soon as villagers got to know of it, they gathered outside the house where they were present. Farmers took it as an attempt to divide the unity of farmers and started shouting slogans against the BJP and the minister, following which he had to flee,” said a villager.

Khap leaders expressed their anger over Balyan’s ‘outreach’ to them. Head of the Battisa Khap, Surajmal Chaudhray said BJP leaders will not be allowed to enter the village.

Head of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Minority Cell, Shahnawaz Alam who has been touring western Uttar Pradesh for the last two weeks, feels that there is a growing resentment among people against the BJP over the issue of the farm laws.

Alam, who was busy overseeing preparations for Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Kisan Panchayat’ at Mathura scheduled on Tuesday, said, “We have seen huge response in favour of Congress’ ‘Kisan Panchayats’ in western UP. People have now realized that BJP does not only play the Hindu-Muslim card but is also trying to divide the farmers.”

“Balyan being forced to flee the village shows that BJP’s days are numbered…People are not going to forget that the PM of this country had mocked farmers and called them ‘andolan jeevis’,” he added. Meanwhile, Balyan downplayed the incident and blamed it on Samajwadi Party activists.