Leader of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan VM Singh said that his organization is withdrawing the protest of the farmers running with immediate effect. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) has also announced its withdrawal from the protests.
The Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of the protests by farmers running on the outskirts of Delhi. Both farmer unions condemned the violence that erupted during the tractor march in New Delhi on Republic Day and said they could not continue the protest in this manner.
This is the decision of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan & not of AIKSCC (All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee). This is the decision of VM Singh, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan & all office bearers: VM Singh, National Convener of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan pic.twitter.com/dTtW45ZMXL
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2021
Announcing the move, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan leader VM Singh said his organization was withdrawing the farmers’ protest with immediate effect as the nature of the protest was “unacceptable”.
Correction: I can't carry forward protest with someone whose direction is different. I wish them best but VM Singh & Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan* are withdrawing from the protest: VM Singh, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan & All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee pic.twitter.com/kXC70UvRWZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2021
“We are stopping our movement but our fight for the rights of farmers will continue,” VM Singh quoted the news agency as saying. He said that the movement “will continue but will not happen”. “This format is not acceptable,” said VM Singh.
Speaking about the violence during the tractor march by farmers on Republic Day in New Delhi, VM Singh said that he and his organization had nothing to do with it.
VM Singh said he had nothing to do with the protests led by the Indian Farmers Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who has been named in the FIR and charged with attempted murder for the 26 January violence.
“They have nothing to do with the protests that are going on and have been represented here by Rakesh Tikait under his leadership.”
He said, “We cannot pursue a protest with anyone who has a different direction. Therefore, I wish them all the best, but VM Singh and the National Farmers’ Workers Organization are immediately withdrawing this protest.”
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) President Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh said that he too is backing down from the protest and is hurt over the violence in Delhi.
“I am deeply hurt by what happened in Delhi yesterday and am ending our 58 days of protest,” he said. Over 300 Delhi Police personnel were injured during protests on Tuesday. One demonstrator was killed, while the number of injured is not known.
Delhi Police has detained more than 200 people in connection with Tuesday’s violence and registered more than 20 FIRs in various police stations and named about 13 farmer leaders in the FIR.