A new controversy is in the making after Punjab farm leaders who were going to participate in the mahapanchayats organised in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were allegedly stopped at Delhi Airport and denied permission to board the flight. Three farm leaders, Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Sidhupur leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Baldev Singh Sirsa, and Sukhdev Singh Bhojraj were among those allegedly stopped at Delhi airport. Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday took to his Facebook handle and shared his video along with other farm leaders accusing the airport authorities of denying them permission to board the flight allegedly because they were wearing "Sri Sahib" (small Kirpan).
In the video which was shot at Delhi Airport, Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, "The kirpan issue was just an excuse and that the government is actually afraid of the expanding farmers’ movement in North India. The farmers were reaching in big numbers to attend the mahapanchayats organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) on the issue of MSP Guarantee Law in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli and Puducherry.”
"Security personnel at the airport raised objections regarding the kirpans, even though we have previously travelled by air with their kirpans. Interestingly, Sukhdev Singh Bhojraj did not have a kirpan, yet he was still denied boarding," said Dallewal in his Facebook video.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal further alleged, "The Central Government has instructed the security personnel to use the kirpan as a pretext to prevent them from travelling. The real reason is that the Central Government is anxious about the growing farmers’ movement in Southern India over the issue of the MSP Guarantee Law, which has been ongoing since February 13."
Another farm leader Baldev Singh Sirsa who was also denied permission to board the flight, talked to a news portal and detailed about the incident. Baldev Singh Sirsa said, "They checked our luggage, gave us boarding pass but later told us that we will have to keep our sword inside our luggage. However, we always wear this as we are Amritdhari and it is part of our religion. We refused to do so. Hence, they made us sit at the airport and gave us our luggage back at around 3.30 pm afterwards, we came outside the airport".
Notably, Delhi Airport has not issued any statement on the issue as of now.