Tag: narendra tomar

Nihang Leader Who Met Tomar Claims He Was Offered Money to Vacate Singhu Protest Site

Baba Aman Singh said that the money was offered to him not by the minister but by a “BJP leader”, according to reports.

New Delhi: Baba Aman Singh, the head of the Nihang sect whose members have been arrested for the gruesome Singhu border killing, has levelled a sensational allegation, claiming that he was offered Rs 10 lakh to vacate the site of the farmers’ protest.

The Nihang leader’s claim came after photos emerged on social media of his meeting with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Farmer leaders had expressed concern about the meeting when the Tribune reported that he may have been part of efforts to “end” the farmers’ protest against the three farm laws.

A member of Aman Singh’s sect is the prime accused in the execution of Lakhbir Singh, who was accused by the group of ‘sacrilege’. This claim has been denied by Lakhbir Singh’s family, who have demanded a high-level probe. In total, four members of the Nirvair Khalsa-Udna Dal have been arrested in connection with the murder.

According to Indian Express, speaking on Tuesday, Aman Singh claimed, “I was offered Rs 10 lakh for leaving the farmers’ protest site; Rs 1 lakh was offered to my organisation also. But we can’t be bought.”

According to the Tribune, Singh said that the money was offered to him not by the minister but by a “BJP leader”.

As The Wire has reported, also present during the meeting were Sunil Kumar Singh, an MP from Jharkhand; Saurav Saraswat from Rajasthan; and Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, the all-India secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha.

Another controversial person who was present for the meeting was Gurmeet Singh ‘Pinky’, a former Punjab police officer who was dismissed after he was convicted in a murder case.

The newspaper reported that when Aman Singh was asked if he had discussed the meeting with the Union minister with the farmers’ unions, he said they did not have to talk to farmers. He said he did not go alone to meet Tomar and at least 10 members of his fauj were with him.

He added that the Nihang groups would decide on October 27 whether to stay at Singhu or not. In the aftermath of the killing of Lakhbir Singh, the Samyukt Kisan Morch had asked the Nihang groups to leave the site.

Also Read: Leader of Nihang Group Involved in Singhu Killing Met Union Agri Minister Tomar in July

The agriculture ministry did not respond to questions on the matter, according to Indian Express.

Gurmeet Singh told the newspaper that he knows Baba Aman Singh and confirmed that he went to the minister’s house in August. “But the purpose of [the] visit was different. I went for some personal work. The Nihang sect head was talking about farm Bills. But there was no offer of money made to him in front of me. I don’t know what happened between him and Tomar,” he said.

The Congress party, which heads the government in Punjab, has raised suspicions about the Singhu killing.

In a statement, Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, “In view of the recent disclosures about one of the Nihang leaders having already been in touch with the Government of India, minister for agriculture N.S. Tomar in particular, the lynching incident has now taken an entirely different turn.”

Former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar claimed that “agencies” could be involved in the murder but did not elaborate what he meant.

“There is certainly something more than what meets the eye,” he said in a separate statement, adding, “The BJP has long been trying to tarnish the secular farmers’ struggle as a Sikh movement to term protesting Sikhs as militants,” Jakhar alleged, adding that the Punjabis are the country’s sword arm.

Leader of Nihang Group Involved in Singhu Killing Met Union Agri Minister Tomar in July

According to reports, Baba Aman Singh may have been part of efforts to end the farmers’ protest against the three Central laws.

Jalandhar: Photos of Baba Aman Singh, the chief of the Nihang group whose members have been arrested for the Singhu border killing, meeting with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, other BJP leaders have gone viral on social media, causing a furore.

In the viral photos, Tomar is seen honouring Baba Aman Singh with a siropa (robe of honour) and having lunch. During the meeting, they are believed to have discussed the contentious farm laws. The photos evoked sharp reactions from farmers, civil society and the Punjabi diaspora. The meeting took place in late July, when BJP leaders in Punjab and Haryana were facing mass protests over the laws.

Baba Aman Singh is the chief of the Nirvair Khalsa-Udna Dal, the group whose members have been arrested for the killing of Lakhbir Singh at the Singhu border on October 15. They executed the man, who is from a Dalit community, accusing him of ‘sacrilege’.

As The Wire had reported, he had justified the gruesome murder as “punishment for blasphemy” and warned farmer leaders to “think twice before announcing their views” on the killing.

The victim’s family has contested the desecration claim, demanding a high-level probe.

Baba Aman Singh is also closely associated with Canada based Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council chairman Kultar Singh Gill.

It was learnt that the meeting between Baba Aman Singh, who is from Chamkaur Sahib in Punjab, was held at the bungalow of minister of state for agriculture Kailash Choudhary in New Delhi in the last week of July.

While Aman Singh refused to speak to The Wire, it has come to light that he was part of an ‘outer channel’ to end the farmers’ stir, according to a Tribune report. Singh, who is at the Singhu border, is likely to speak to the media later.

Also present at the meeting were Sunil Kumar Singh, an MP from Jharkhand; Saurav Saraswat from Rajasthan; and Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, the all-India secretary of the BJP Kisan Morcha. Grewal, who hails from Ludhiana, was also looking after the Sikh community’s affairs in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite repeated attempts, Grewal was not available for comments. His phone was switched off.

Also Read: Nihang Groups Refuse to Leave Farmers’ Protest, Say ‘Didn’t Join on Anyone’s Invitation’

Former cop, convicted for murder, also present

Another controversial figure who was at the meeting was Gurmeet Singh ‘Pinky’, a former Punjab police cop who was convicted for murder.

In a video interview some years ago, Pinky had admitted that he was witness to over 50 fake encounters during the militancy in Punjab. He and Baba Aman Singh were inmates in Patiala Central Jail, during which time they became good friends.

Gurmeet Singh ‘Pinky’, between Tomar and Baba Aman Singh. Photo: Social media

The presence of Pinky in the photo has raised key questions about who set up the meeting between Baba Aman Singh and Tomar.

Pinky was allegedly close to many terrorists. During the militancy period in Punjab in the 1990s, he was a Punjab Police ‘cat’ – a militant turned undercover police agent – who helped the police in fighting terrorism. He became a police officer and rose to the post of inspector, owing to his role in fighting terrorism and his proximity to senior police officers. He was dismissed from service in 2006, subsequent to a 2001 murder case. He was convicted in the murder case and awarded a life term in 2006.

Pinky was the recipient of a gallantry medal for service in 1997, but in the wake of the criminal charges, the Union government withdrew it in 2017.

Talking to The Wire, Raja Raj Singh, the head of the Nihang group Tarna Dal from Sangrur district in Punjab, said, “I met Baba Aman Singh and asked him about the controversy surrounding his viral photos with Narendra Singh Tomar, other BJP leaders and Gurmeet Singh Pinky. I told him to clarify why and where he met the Union agriculture minister. Aman Singh said he will answer all these queries after speaking to his lawyer.”

Raja Raj Singh also said that if Baba Aman Singh is found to have “hobnobbed” with BJP leaders, the groups will boycott him from the Nihang sect. “At the same time, I want to make it clear that we [the other Nihang group] were not aware of his meetings with the BJP leaders. He never shared any such information with any of the eight Nihang groups which are camping at the Singhu border. We want the truth behind the viral photos and the alleged sacrilege of the Sikh scripture to come out,” he added.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar presents Baba Aman Singh with a siropa. Photo: Social media

After Lakhbir Singh’s killing, Chandigarh-based senior journalist Jagtar Singh had categorically tweeted that the killing could have many dimensions.

Speaking to The Wire after photos of Baba Aman Singh’s meeting with Tomar emerged, Jagtar Singh – who is also the author of two important books on the Khalistan movement – said, “It is a larger design to derail the farmers’ protest. The role of the Nihangs has remained under the scanner as they had a history of serving the government.” He gave the example of the Nihangs’ clash with Babbar Khalsa before Operation Blue Star in 1984. Jagtar Singh also spoke about the role of Nihang leader Baba Santa Singh, who acquiesced to the government’s demands to reconstruct the Akal Takht after Operation Blue Star. This move drew flak from fellow Sikh bodies and another Nihang leader, Ajit Singh Poohla, who was had several cases of murder and attempted murder against him.

“While Santa Singh was excommunicated from the Sikh Panth, Ajit Singh Poohla was burnt alive by inmates at the Amritsar Central jail in 2008. The meeting between Baba Aman Singh and Tomar again hints that they [Nihangs] are up to something now,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that when Nihang groups held a press conference at the Singhu border on Monday over the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)’s demand that they should leave in the wake of Lakhbir Singh’s killing, Baba Aman Singh was not present.

Watch: Can the Killing at Singhu Weaken the Farmers’ Movement?

‘Suspicious’, say farmer leaders

Though the SKM leaders have not yet issued a statement on Baba Aman Singh’s meeting, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and state general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokari Kalan termed the entire case suspicious.

“The murder of Lakhbir Singh was highly unfortunate. The Narendra Modi government’s propaganda machinery has left no stone unturned in defaming the farmers’ protest and tried to give the movement false angles. This incident took place at a time when the government was desperately working to scuttle the protest. The presence of any religious body at the protest site not only gives the movement a religious colour but also allows the creation of conspiracies in the name of religion. Our fight is against the three farm laws and the farmers should fight this fascist government tooth and nail and should stay cautious,” they said.

Notably, Lakhbir Singh’s sister had said that her brother was keeping in touch with some ‘big people’ and someone known as ‘Sandhu’ used to call him frequently. In an interview with BBC Punjabi, she had said, “My brother would ask us to go out of the room whenever he got a call from Sandhu. But we don’t know who this Sandhu was. He was misled by someone, who took him to the Singhu border, as he could never think of desecrating a holy scripture.”

Meanwhile, it also came to light that on October 13, Lakhbir Singh was at a wedding in his village, where a man dressed in the robes of the Nihang sect came and took him along. That was the last time his family saw him.

‘PM Modi Under Pressure From Ambani, Adani; Repealing Laws Not in His Hands’: BKU Leader

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan has said that Union agriculture minister unwittingly revealed this to farmers’ leaders at their last meeting.

Jalandhar: Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Friday, March 12, said that repealing the three controversial farm laws was not in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he was under “acute pressure” from industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

Ugrahan said this was not a runaway claim but was revealed by Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar during the last meeting between the Centre and farmers’ unions on January 15.

Addressing a gathering at the ‘Mazdoor Kisan Ekta Maha Rally’ at Muthada Kalan village in Jalandhar district, the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president said, “You will be surprised to know that Tomar had said that if he [Modi] accepted our demand to repeal the three laws, then the next day Ambani and Adani would come.”

The industrialists’ method would be different, Ugrahan alleged.

“Have you ever seen Ambani and Adani blocking the roads and railways? They will not come out here on the roads. Rather, they will pressurise you,” he said.

The farmers’ leader said that Tomar had not meant to divulge this.

“Actually, Tomar said this by mistake, as it was not in their policy to share such information with us. This proves that whatever may be happening, Adani and Ambani are pressuring the government and that is why these three black laws have been brought,” he said. Loud slogans of “Kisan mazdoor ekta zindabaad” followed.

Also watch | ‘It’s Not Farmers But Modi Who’s Being Misled By Ambani-Adani’

Ugrahan said that PM Modi, in his addresses, keeps pointing out that no farmer would lose land under these three laws.

“We agree that there is no such clause in the three agriculture laws but then there was no mention of such a clause in the Green Revolution too. Under the Green Revolution, it was not mentioned anywhere that farmers would end up losing their lands. Nobody protested against the Green Revolution when it was introduced. The government gave this sweet poison to the farmers and we accepted it at that time. Today, the effects of that poison is for all to see,” he said.

Attendants at the rally at Muthada Kalan village in Jalandhar district. Photo: Kusum Arora.

Ugrahan said farm labourers lost their jobs due to machines and that farmers came under severe debt and were driven to suicide. “Such is the crisis, that by 2014, more than two lakh farmers left farming in Punjab. Similarly, under these three black laws, farmers would be ruined beyond imagination, they would be left with no option but to sell their lands to big landlords and the corporates,” he added.

Ugrahan said that it is for this reason that they have decided to protest against Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh over the promise of a farm debt waiver. “Punjab is heading for assembly elections in 2022 and we would hold the Captain’s government accountable and ask after his poll promise, on the basis of which he came to power in 2017,” he said.

Ugrahan had earlier said that the debate on the farmers’ protests and human rights violations by the UK parliament was a big win for farmers. “Whether it is the UK, the US, Canada, Germany or Italy supporting us or holding protests outside Indian embassies, it is a big support to our cause. From being a national issue, the farmers protest has become a global subject,” he said, adding that the biggest achievement of farmers’ protest is that they have received massive public support.

Also read: Farm Laws Internal Matter, but Diaspora Growth Means More Indian Issues Will Be Debated: UK Envoy

Nodeep Kaur addresses the rally at Muthada Kalan village in Jalandhar district. Photo: Kusum Arora

Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Ruldu Singh Mansa had earlier said two World Wars have already taken place but now wars were being fought on a different level.

“It is fine that the UK parliament or any other leader has come out to support us but that cannot be termed the real victory. The real achievement would be people’s support. They declare support, but these leaders ensure that people in their country or state don’t come out on the roads,” he said.

Mansa also said that the real agitation started after January 26, as people became serious about their cause. “Earlier, it was a ‘mela’, now it is ‘andolan’ in real sense,” he added.

Among others who addressed the gathering was labour activist Nodeep Kaur, who was present along with activist Shiv Kumar. The duo represents ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan’, which they formed in 2018 to fight for the rights of labourers.

“I was protesting against the new Labour Code Bill 2020 introduced by the Modi government, when I was arrested. During COVID-19, many labourers lost their jobs, others were denied pending salaries and many ended up working on meagre wages. Both of us have been fighting for the cause of labourers and after joining the farmers’ protest in a bigger way now, we are going to intensify our protests against the Labour Code,” she said.

Shiv Kumar also said that even though he was mercilessly beaten up in custody, he was committed to the cause of labourers. “I am the son of a farm labourer and I know what hardships we faced. I don’t want anybody to face the miseries that I overcame,” he said.

Centre May Agree to Meet Protesting Farmers Without Conditions: Reports

The ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest march of farmers and peasants from across the country is in its fifth day today.

Mohali: According to media reports, the Central government has agreed to meet the protesting farmers for talks on the new farm bills, without any conditions this time.

This development comes after 32 farmers’ unions spearheading the anti-farm bill protests in Punjab aggressively since the last two months, assembled at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border last evening to address the national press for the first time. Together, they refused to accept home minister Amit Shah’s offers of protesting at the Nirankari ground in Burari. They said that they are refusing Shah’s offer for two reasons: One, because the home minister made the offer to them on a condition. And two, they believe that the ground in Burari is an “open jail”.

On November 28, Shah had told ANI that he had requested protesting farmers to move to Burari for their own convenience. But farmers, in a press conference a day later on November 29, said that Shah offered to hold talks with them on the condition of them moving to Burari first. According to the unions, they threw the ball in the Centre’s court by rejecting the offer and the condition.

Also read: Allay Fears of Farmers: Newspaper Editorials Call on Centre to Engage in Dialogue

Meanwhile, agriculture minister Narendra Tomar has repeatedly stressed in interviews to the ANI that the three farm bills will help the Indian farmer and even if some farmers feel it is not going to be in their favour, they are “ready to hold talks with them”.

A session of talks is already scheduled with the protesting farmers on December 3. This was decided at the last meeting between the farm union leaders and the Centre on November 13.

Is only Punjab protesting?

The ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest march of farmers and peasants from across the country is in its fifth day today. While thousands of farmers have made their way largely from Punjab and Haryana, hundreds of them have also come to New Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. According to the leaders of the farmers’ movement, many farmers from south Indian states would have joined too if travelling wasn’t as difficult as it is because of the epidemic right now.

The demand of over 400 Indian farmers’ unions, protesting under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha,  is the same – roll back of the three farm laws passed by the Centre in September in a rushed manner. 

According to the AIKSCC, it is Punjab which has taken a lead in the protest but essentially, the coming in of new farm acts will affect every farmer in the country. According to sources, more farmers are on their way from Rajasthan and UP and are expected to  block other borders around New Delhi.

Lawyers support

On November 29, lawyers led by Bar Council of Delhi members Rajiv Khosla and senior advocate H.S. Phoolka gathered outside Supreme Court to show solidarity with the protesting farmers and against the police action on farmers recently.

“It is extremely irresponsible to level allegations against the farmers by saying that they are from this or that political  party. They are simply farmers, many of whom are from my own village. What the Haryana government did was wrong,” Phoolka told ANI.

While Manohar Lal Khattar claimed that no farmer from Haryana has attended the protest, the Haryana Police booked state Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Haryana unit chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and several farmers on attempt to murder, rioting, causing obstruction in government duty and other charges for violations during their march towards New Delhi.

Meanwhile, khap panchayats of Haryana also showed solidarity with the farmers.

As Prices Soar, Agriculture Minister Assures That Onion Rates Will Be Checked

The bulb is selling between Rs 70-80 per kilogram in most parts of the country.

New Delhi: After retail prices of onions shot up across the country, the Centre has stepped in to say that prices of the bulb will be checked. Onions are selling between Rs 70-80 per kilogram in most parts of the country. In Delhi, the rate has soared to Rs 80 a kilogram, while in Mumbai, prices hover at around Rs 70 a kilogram.

Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar attempted to allay fears, saying that prices will be checked. “Onion situation will improve in the next few days. Cooperative Nafed is releasing stock from the central buffer at a lower price. We have enough stock of onions,” he said.

The rise in prices is partly due to a lean period in supply prior to the harvest, which will take place in October. It is also partly due to a dip in supply caused by the drought in Maharashtra and heavy rainfall over the past couple of weeks in Karnataka.

Last year, the total supply in August was 59 lakh quintals across the country and it is marginally lower this year at 55 lakh quintals. While for the month of September, the total supply this year is 33 lakh quintals, compared to 60 lakh quintals last year. It is to be noted that the data for September 2019 does not span the entire month.

Also Read: Decision to Import Onions Reflects the Government’s Anti-Producer Bias

The price of onions across the country has increased steadily for the past month and a half. In mandis such as Lasalgaon in Maharashtra, which is among the biggest for onions, the price has now touched Rs 4,000 a quintal.

The average wholesale price for September 2019 has shot up to Rs 2,578 per quintal, compared to Rs 1,040 per quintal last year for the same month. The average wholesale price across the country was Rs 1,720 per quintal in August 2019, compared to Rs 1,181 for the same month last year.

The government recently announced that it will import 2,000 metric tonnes from countries other than Pakistan. The imports are expected to arrive only by the end of November, and the quantity is too small to make a significant difference in the prices.

The price rise at this point is temporary and is likely to subside when the new harvest starts entering the market next month. Also as Navratri begins, the demand for onions among the pious is likely to fall, further easing the situation.