The farmer protest against three farm laws enacted by the central government last year has continued for over 100 days. Spearheaded by Khalistanis, so-called farmers who have been participating in the protests have been occupying public places and have been staying in tents and other temporary accommodations. However, while the protesting farmers have been staying in tents, two self-proclaimed farmer leaders have been found staying in a three-star hotel in Kundli.
As per a Zee report, two farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal and Kulwant Singh Sandh have been staying at the TDI Clube Retreat in Kundli. Zee News accessed the hotel bills of the two farmer leaders revealing the expenses of their stay in the hotel. As per the hotel bill, Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union-Rajewal, stayed in room number 206 of TDI Club Retreat between December 12, 2020, and March 3, 2021. At present, he is reportedly staying in another room in the same hotel.
Balbir Singh Rajewal’a hotel expenses reach over Rs 2 lakh
The two leaders, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Kulwant Singh Sandh, are two amongst 40 farmer leaders who have been spearheading this movement that has led to public inconvenience and an incident of massive violence on the 26th of January, that left over 400 police personnel injured. Interestingly, as it turns out, while they have “led” others to block roads, sleep in tents and commit violence against a law that will benefit farmers, they have themselves been staying in hotels and taking up a bill of lacs.
The bills reveal that Balbir Singh Rajewal spent more than 1 lakh 30 thousand during his stay in the hotel between December 12, 2020, and January 28, 2021. The bill included breakfast and laundry expenses. The per-day cost of the room he was staying in, as mentioned in the bill, was Rs 2,500 excluding breakfast and laundry.
The Zee News report claims that the costs of Rajewal’s stay in the hotel so far have reached up to Rs 2 lakh 40 thousand approximately. The other farmer leader, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, has also reportedly been staying in the same hotel since December last year. Kulwant Singh Sandhu is the general secretary of Jamuhari Kisan Sabha, Punjab. Sandhu has been staying in TDI Club Retreat along with his son Dosanjh since December 27th, 2020.
Kulwant Singh Sandhu’s stay in the hotel has been made free by scam accused co-owner of the hotel
While both the ‘farmer leaders’ have raked up a bill of lacs during their stay, according to the report, Sandhu is not being charged for his stay at the hotel. His stay in the hotel inclusive of food and drink has been made free by Ravindra Taneja who is one of the owners of the hotel.
Ravindra Taneja is reportedly accused in the Manesar land scam in the Gurugram district of Haryana. A charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before the Panchkula Special Court last year alleged that 13 builders including Ravindra Taneja had embezzled Rs 1500 crore.
The farmer protests that were claimed to be an apolitical agitation against farm laws by ‘farmer representatives have recently urged the voters in the poll-bound state of West Bengal to defeat the BJP.
On 26th January 2021, the protesting ‘farmers’ at Delhi border broke barricades and ran riots in the national capital under the guise of ‘tractor rally’ to protest against the farm laws. The ‘farmers’ deliberately tried to run over Delhi Police personnel and also assaulted them with swords and other weapons. Eventually the ‘farmers’ took over the Red Fort and hoisted multiple flags with the holy Sikh symbol.
Delhi Police has made multiple arrests in the case till now.
