Farm leaders warn of protests if action not taken against singer

Faridkot, May 18

Two days after the alleged ‘rabble-rousing’ speech of BJP candidate Hans Raj Hans in Bihlewala village of Faridkot, members of various kisan unions, under the banner of United Farmers Front, on Saturday submitted a complaint to Faridkot District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, demanding legal action against the BJP candidate for making highly objectionable and hatred speech.

If the district administration do not take any action against Hans Raj Hans by May 21, then the farmers’ unions will be forced to begin a massive agitation against the BJP in the state, said the farm leaders.

In their complaint to the DC, farmers alleged that on the pattern of Manipur, BJP is now trying to polarise the electorate in Punjab along caste lines. As religious polarisation was not successful in Punjab, now the BJP leaders are trying to create rift along caste lines, oblivious of the fact that such divisions were never successful in Punjab.

In the last one week, the BJP has started its campaign in Sadiq area of Faridkot where its opposition by some farmers’ union is more pronounced. To counter farmers’ union protest in this area, the BJP has started focusing on Dalit votes for their significant presence in these villages.

On Thursday, Hans Raj Hans had faced strong opposition and sloganeering in Bihlewala village during his canvassing. Heavy police force was deployed to avert any clash between the farmers’ union leaders, members and BJP supporters.

In his address to a gathering in which most of the voters were Dalit, Hans Raj Hans was hard hitting after some voters complained they were being threatened by the farmers’ union leaders and members for supporting BJP.

While announcing his personal mobile number from the stage, Hans Raj asked them to inform him immediately if any BJP supporters in the village get any threat from any quarter. All of those threatening you will be taken to task after June 1, he had said.