Farmers' protest: Opposition condemns violence, but holds Centre responsible for chaos

Opposition parties were nuanced in their reaction to the violence witnessed in the national capital on Tuesday as farmers protesting against the three contentious farm laws clashed with the police. From a condemnation of the violence to a criticism of the Narendra Modi government for their stance towards the protesters to a concern over what today's developments would mean for the future of the protests, their response was a balancing act.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was among the first opposition leaders to react to the unexpected turn of events. He articulated a balanced opinion, saying violence is not a solution to any problem. “Whoever gets wounded, it is the nation that bears the brunt. In national interest, take back the anti-farmer laws,” Gandhi tweeted.

While he emphasised on the Congress' stand that the Centre should take back the three contentious laws against which the farmers had been agitating on Delhi's borders for more than two months now, he did take care to not appear as condoning the acts of violence witnessed in the capital as farmers clashed with the police and stormed the iconic Red Fort.

The Congress released a statement later in the day, in which the party made it clear that the scenes of chaos and anarchy witnessed in the national capital today had no place in a democracy. “The farmers associations that have been agitating, by dissociating themselves from the unacceptable turn of events, have taken a step in the right direction... Non-violence and Satyagraha have been the biggest achievements of the farmer-worker agitation,” said AICC Communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala.

Criticising the stance adopted by the Modi government towards the farmers' agitation, Surjewala said the present dispensation's policy of tiring out the farmers and chasing them away was not in the national interest.

Congress chief ministers—Capt Amarinder Singh of Punjab and Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan—too came out in condemnation of the violence. Amarinder Singh said the developments would negate the goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. “I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders,” he tweeted. Gehlot, while expressing concern over the violent incidents, asked the Modi government to display its “greatness” by withdrawing the farm laws. He said the Centre should talk to the farmers and bring in new laws.

Former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who had yesterday addressed a large gathering of farmers in Mumbai on the three farm laws, said that while nobody can support what happened in Delhi today, the reason behind it cannot be ignored either. “Those sitting calmly grew angry. The Centre did not fulfill its responsibility. The government should act maturely and take the right decision,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was “deeply disturbed by the worrying and painful developments that have unfolded on the streets of Delhi” and held the Centre's “insensitive attitude and indifference” responsible for the situation.

“First, these laws were passed without taking farmers in confidence. And then, despite protests across India and farmers camping near Delhi for the last two months, they've been extremely casual in dealing with them. The Centre should engage with the farmers and repeal the draconian laws,” she said.

In a carefully worded statement, the Aam Aadmi Party, which has been at the forefront in expressing solidarity with the farmers, condemned the violence and said it has weakened the movement.

“It is regrettable that the Central government allowed the situation to deteriorate to such an extent,” the party said, holding the Centre responsible for the turn of events even as it noted that the movement had been peaceful for the last two months.

The party said the farmer leaders have conveyed that those who indulged in violence today were not part of the movement and were external elements. “Whoever they were, the violence has certainly weakened the movement which was going on so peacefully and in a disciplined manner,” the party said in an admission of the feeling that the visuals of protesters storming the Red Fort and engaging in clashes with the police might rob the farmers' campaign of the public sympathy that it has so far received.

Interestingly, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has so far been outspoken with regard to the farmers' agitation, maintained silence on the issue, and so did the party's in-charge of the Punjab unit, Raghav Chadha.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury was critical of the Centre, saying it was provoking a confrontation. He said tear gassing and lathicharging farmers was unacceptable. “Why, after the Delhi Police and Samyukt Kisan Morcha agreement? Why is the government provoking a confrontation? They must allow the peaceful, agreed tractor parade to continue.”

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who is also a leader of Swaraj Abhiyan, an organisation actively involved in the farmers' agitation, said it was unfortunate that some farmers on tractors had

deviated from the pre-agreed and designated route. “It is extremely important for the farmers to go back to the designated route and above all remain totally non-violent. Any indiscipline or violence will seriously damage the movement,” he said, voicing the feeling that the scenes of chaos and violence would result in the farmers losing public sympathy.