BackFarmers' protest: Masked man alleges plot to shoot 4 farm leaders at 26 Jan tractor rally
The masked man claimed that his accomplices were allegedly asked to pose as policemen and baton-charge the crowd if things go out of control during the farmers' proposed tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day
PremiumProtesting farmers at the Singhu border have alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to shoot four farmer leaders and create disturbance during their proposed tractor rally in the national capital on 26 January.
At a press conference on Friday night, the farmer leaders presented a person who claimed that his accomplices were allegedly asked to pose as policemen and baton-charge the crowd if things go out of control during the proposed tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.
He also named police officials allegedly involved in the plan.
"Attempts are being made by agencies to disrupt the farmers' agitation against three farm laws," claimed farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu at the press briefing at the Singhu border.
He also said that the masked man along with his other teammates has been threatened that their family members will be killed if they leak any information.
The farmer leaders claimed that they caught the man from the protest site at the Singhu border. He was subsequently handed over to the Haryana police and has been taken to Kundli Police Station for questioning.
What was the 'plan'
The man, who had his face covered with a scarf, claimed at the press meet that a plan was hatched to shoot four farmer leaders, who are known faces in the media.
Speaking to the media, the masked man said, "We had planned to stop farmers from moving ahead during 26 January rally and if they did not stop, we had planned to first fire in the air and then our other teammates were to fire from behind so that the Delhi Police personnel present at the spot think that the farmers are firing at them, which would prompt them to retaliate against the protesting farmers in a strong manner."
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police officials said that they are not aware of any masked man, adding that no formal complaint has been filed with till now.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of the national capital since 28 November last year, demanding a repeal of the three contentious farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
Enacted in September 2020, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in India.
However, the farmers protesting at the Singhu border have expressed their apprehension that the new farm laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
With agency inputs
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