As per reports, Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad was detained at his residence by the UP Police, as he was leaving to participate in the farmers’ protested.
Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan on Tuesday, 8 December, took to Twitter to say that he had been detained by the government of Yogi Adityanath since morning.
He said on Twitter: “India has again gone back into the Emergency era today. Our providers, the farmers need us, but the police under the Yogi government have detained me since morning.”
भारत दोबारा से इमर्जेंसी के दौर में चला गया है आज हमारे अन्नदाता किसानों को हमारी जरूरत है लेकिन योगी सरकार की पुलिस ने मुझे सुबह से ही नजरबंद कर दिया है। pic.twitter.com/ChQ1WN5wLY
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 8, 2020
The leader was reportedly detained at his Saharanpur living residence by Uttar Pradesh Police, as he was leaving to partake in the protests and the Bharat Bandh called for by farmers against the controversial agricutlrual laws.
In the previous week, Azad had gone to the Singhu border to join farmers who have been protesting for 13 days at many of Delhi’s borders against the laws, overcoming the cold wave, water cannons, tear gas and the pandemic.
Farmers camping close to Delhi, who started their protest around fourteen days prior, have called for a nationwide strike today against the controversial laws, which they state will permit a monopoly of private players in the agricultural sector. Practically all commercial transport and truck associations, however, have supported the call apart from the opposition parties.
Farmers’ agitation over the controversial agricultural laws picked up steam on Day 13 as agitating farmer union across India took to roads, to mark Bharat Bandh on Tuesday, 8 December.
Social activist Anna Hazare sat on a day-long hunger strike to support the protesting farmers who have required the bandh, while farmers who have been protesting at the Singhu border have said they will block main streets during the ‘chakka jam’ from 11 am to 3 pm.
Prior on Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had been put under house arrest since his visit to Singhu Border on Monday, a charge which was vehemently denied by the Delhi Police.
Five rounds of discussions have occurred between the farmers and the Centre over the laws and the 6th round is planned to be conducted on Wednesday.
