Patiala: A farmer died during a protest against BJP candidate Preneet Kaur here on Saturday, following which Kaur cancelled his poll campaign programmes for the day and Sunday.
Sixty-year-old farmer Surinder Pal Singh fell on the ground during the protest at the Sihra village. Protesting farmers alleged that Singh fell after security personnel pushed them.
However, BJP candidate Kaur’s team released a video clip in which the farmer could be seen collapsing on the ground during the protest.
Carrying black flags, the farmers had stopped Kaur’s vehicle during the protest. Policemen were urging them not to stop the vehicle.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that Singh was taken to the Rajpura Civil Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
The BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from farmers during their campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.
In a statement, BJP candidate Kaur mourned the death of the farmer.
“I am deeply saddened by the demise of farmer Surinder Pal Singh,” she said in her condolence message to the family, while adding, “me and my family have always stood by the farmers and we will continue to do so”.
She assured that she and her family will stand by them till their last breath.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal demanded compensation and a government job for one member of the deceased farmer’s family. Dallewal demanded that an FIR be registered in the matter. Till the case is registered, the cremation will not take place, said the farmer leader.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar expressed grief over the death of the farmer and said his party stood firmly behind next of the kin of the deceased.
Jakhar expressed shock that certain political parties were trying to exploit the situation by misquoting facts and giving a political colour to the incident.
Jakhar added that while protest is a democratic right, political parties and farmer organisations should also take into account the safety and health of protestors in such circumstances.
The video that has surfaced showed that the farmer was standing on one side while a group of farmers was raising slogans and sitting in protest in front of a vehicle, said Jakhar. The farmer who was standing on one side suddenly fell without any melee, the video showed.
Jakhar cautioned political parties against vitiating the atmosphere in the state during the election.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also expressed grief over the death of the farmer. He said his party has decided to cancel the Rajpura leg of the ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ on Sunday to “pay homage to the martyred farmer.”
Farmers are protesting to press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
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