27/01/2021
Over the last two months, the farmers’ unions had worked strenuously to ensure that their protest against the Centre’s new farm laws remained free of any law-and-order incidents. That their counter to critics who called them names — from Naxals to Khalistanis — was peaceful protests. However, the violence in the national capital on Republic Day, a crowd breaking away to storm Red Fort, has given the Government an opportunity to press its case that the agitation involves not just farmers but hardline elements as well.
It is expected to underline this in what is expected to be a fractious Budget session of Parliament. That its offer of keeping the new laws on hold was rejected by the unions and this was followed by Tuesday’s violence. The Government will also use the fact that farm unions and even the Congress government in Punjab have distanced themselves from and condemned Tuesday’s incidents, especially at Red Fort.
“Our strategy going forward will definitely change,” said a source in the Government. “You cannot enter Red Fort by force, plant a flag there and then say let’s talk about the laws.”
Source: The Indian Express
