Bhiwani: The BJP’s two-week long ‘Tiranga Yatra’ ahead of 75th Independence Day began from this district of Haryana on Sunday, with party’s state chief O P Dhankar claiming that thousands of farmers also joined the event.
Dhankar along with state Agriculture Minister J P Dalal rode a tractor with tricolour fixed on its both sides during the ‘yatra’ which was taken out on a 30-km long route from Bahal to Loharu here.
Carrying tricolours, a large number of tractors and other vehicles were also part of the event.
Over the next two weeks, the ‘yatra’ will be taken out in all the 90 assembly constituencies and senior leaders of the party will take part in it.
While Dhankar claimed that thousands of farmers joined the event on Sunday, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of over 40 farmer organisations spearheading a stir against the Centre’s three farm laws, said they will not oppose the ‘yatra’.
Notably, the farmers protesting the agri laws have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP leaders over farm laws issue.
The ‘yatra’ in Bahal began after BJP leaders and others took part in the event and paid floral tributes to legendary martyr Bhagat Singh. ‘Vande Mataram’ and ”Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans were also chanted on the occasion.
During the two-week-long ‘yatra’, BJP leaders would also pay homage to great freedom fighters and unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement.
The Tiranga Yatra’ aims to inculcate a spirit of patriotism among the younger generation. Sacrifices made by our freedom fighters will be highlighted and tributes will be paid to them, Dhankar said.
On BJP’s ‘Tiranga Yatra’, Swaraj India president and key SKM leader Yogendra Yadav said it is a ploy of the saffron party to have confrontation with the farmers protesting against farm laws whom they can then accuse of insulting the tricolour.
“Keeping this ploy in view, therefore, SKM has decided that we will not oppose the Tiranga Yatra. However, other programmes of boycott of BJP-JJP will continue as before. The BJP, which has been completely rejected by the people, won’t be able to defame farmers’ agitation by taking support of this ‘Tiranga Yatra’, he said.
Talking to reporters, O P Dhankar said thousands of farmers are taking part in this event.
Hitting out at the opposition, the BJP leader said “those who see this ‘yatra’ through a political prism shows that they are narrow minded.”
He also accused the Congress and other opposition parties of indulging in politics in the name of farmers.
“Today, thousands of farmers are here, they are taking part in this ‘yatra’, he said.
This Yatra has started from Bhiwani and will travel to all corners of the state, he said.
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