Aligarh Farmers Meet: RLD Leader Jayant Chaudhry, 5000 Others Booked For Violating COVID-19 protocols

The Uttar Pradesh Police has booked RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary and over 5000 others under the Epidemic Diseases Act for attending a major farmers' meeting in the Aligarh district and violating Covid-19 protocols.

The FIR naming only 22 individuals was lodged around 9:30 pm on Tuesday. Others remain unnamed in the charge sheet filed by UP Police. 

Around five to 6,000 individuals were going to the farmers mahapanchayat in protest against three new central farm laws where RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary additionally came and uphold raised for (BKU leader) Rakesh Tikait in the event managed by Chaudhary Raj Singh," the FIR expressed. 

"The event was held in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic with members in participation without face covers, not holding fast to social removing rules and disregarding CrPC 144 orders," it added. 

Attaching a news report about the FIR on around 5,000 individuals, Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday morning tweeted, "Baba can disclose to us when and where should I come to be arrested", in a secret reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The



FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (unlawfully or negligently spreading infection of any disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and under section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Those booked have also been charged with rioting under section 147 of the IPC, the FIR lodged over a complaint by a local sub-inspector at the Gonda police station in Aligarh stated. 

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has been holding a series of meetings with the farmers in UP and is scheduled to have such events till February end in a bid to reach out to the people over the three contentious central agri-marketing laws enacted last September. 

Thousands of farmers are encamped at Delhi's border points at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur since November end with a demand that the Centre repeal these laws and make a new one to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

The government, which has held 11 rounds of talks with the protesting farmer unions, has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.