Baldev Singh Sirsa, farm union leader summoned by NIA, accuses Centre of disrupting farmer protests

Last updated on January 18th, 2021 at 08:00 am

Baldev Singh Sirsa, president of Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society (LBIWS), union participating in talks with Government over the controversial farm laws, has been summoned by NIA (National Investigation Agency). 

NIA has summoned Sirsa to appear at its New Delhi headquarters on January 17 in relation to the case registered against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, leader of outlawed outfit SFJ (Sikhs for Justice) for conspiring to create an “atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and to cause disaffection in people and to incite them towards rising in rebellion against the Government of India”.

Sirsa has accused Centre to deliberately trying to derail the ongoing protests of farmers against the farm laws. He said, “First, the Government tried to derail the farmer agitation through the Supreme Court, now it is using the NIA.”

The ninth round of talks on Friday with Government were participated by Puran Singh who represented LBIWS. 

In the case against Pannu under various IPC sections and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, NIA has issued summons to many activists including Sirsa. On Tuesday, Supreme Court was informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal that Government has been informed of Khalistani infiltration in the farmers protests going on at Delhi borders. NIA’s FIR has accused “Sikhs For Justice, an ‘Unlawful Association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and other Khalistani terrorist outfits” of conspiring.

Sirsa said, “Many people who are associated with the farmers’ agitation have been sent these summons. It is to terrorise those working for farmers. But we are not going to be affected by this. We will not bend. The NIA is working day and night to scuttle the kisan parade on January 26. The Government is bent on defaming the protest.”  

The FIR has claimed that “huge funds are being collected abroad for on-ground campaigns and propaganda against the Government of India including staging demonstrations outside Indian missions in countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Germany and so forth”.

It further claims that “SFJ and other pro-Khalistani elements involved in this conspiracy, through their incessant social media campaign and otherwise, are radicalizing and recruiting impressionable youth to agitate and undertake terrorist acts for the creation of a separate nation of Khalistan.”