British Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi on Saturday warned that "if people in power abuse peaceful protesters, it'll merely make their movement stronger" after miscreants claiming to be locals incite violence at Singhu border protest site.
Shocked to see mobs and police trying to intimidate and clear Delhi #FarmersProtest, after stopping their water, electricity and internet.
— Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) January 30, 2021
Violence can’t be condoned, but if people in power abuse peaceful protesters, it’ll merely make their movement stronger.#TheWorldIsWatching pic.twitter.com/F6ibfaElSl
"Shocked to see mobs and police trying to intimidate and clear Delhi
farmers' protest, after stopping their water, electricity and Internet,"
Dhesi tweeted.
He added, "Violence can't be condoned, but if people in power abuse
peaceful protesters, it'll merely make their movement stronger."
Earlier, Punjab-origin politician Dhesi had sent a letter, signed by over 100
MPs and Lords, to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the ongoing farmers'
protests, asking him to raise this matter with his Indian counterpart Narendra
Modi when they next liaise.
After a clash broke out between protesting farmers and residents of nearby
villages at Singhu border on Friday afternoon, the area in the vicinity was
turned into a police cantonment as extra police force were immediately deployed
to control the situation.
Following the stone-pelting incident, Delhi Police barricaded the area and
barred entry towards the protest site. However, scores of people claiming to be
local residents, most of them holding lathis (sticks) were still present there
and they were seen shouting slogans against protesting farmers.
Many of them who claimed to be the residents of the nearby village spoke to
IANS and alleged that the farmers had insulted the national flag during tractor
rally on January 26 and their constant presence in the area for over two months
has caused trouble for the locals.
Read More: British MP Tanmanjeet Dhesi raises concern over NIA notices to farmers