Sarwan Singh Pandher, the General Secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, accused police on Thursday of employing military weapons against agitating farmers.
Pandher, who was giving a news conference, revealed some ammunition that looked like smoke shells and rubber bullets, but he said they were exclusively used by the military.
“We are showing something which is used by the military only, one is tear gas, another is smoke shell air burst, and smoke shell ground burst. After hitting the target it bursts and causes injuries, this is only used by the military and not by the police. High explosive ammunition is being used. Ammunition that is expired is being used so that when records are checked it will not come in it. SLR bullets are being fired, that too of private purchase” Pandher alleged.
“In the entire nation arrests are being made farmers are not getting allowed to come out of their houses” Pandher added.
Pandher requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold meetings with farmers and find a peaceful solution to their concerns.
“”We have said it earlier also. It is not a question of going ahead, we are not saying that we will break your barricade, there are two things, today there is a meeting with the Union Ministers, and we would like the Prime Minister himself to talk to them and these demands should be resolved today. This will be pleasant for everyone,” Pandher said while addressing a press conference at Shambu Border.
“Secondly, as this is a democratic country, we should be allowed to carry out our movement peacefully in Delhi, this path should be opened by the government itself and the agenda will be the same as we have. We are farmers and not your enemy consider us as your citizens and initiate talks with us,” he added.
A meeting between farmer unions and the central government has been set for today at 5 p.m. Three Union ministers, Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai, will go to Chandigarh later this evening for the meeting.