New Delhi: Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who had been leading the Centre’s talks with the farmers’ unions, on Thursday accused the opposition parties and others backing the farmers’ protests of making “innocent farmers… puppets of their politics”.According to a report in the Indian Express, in an open letter to the protesting farmers, Tomar said those who were stopping trains from carrying supplies to soldiers at the border when the situation in Ladakh was “challenging”, could not be farmers.“When the security situation at the borders of Leh-Ladakh is challenging, and the snowfall is many feet high, then those stopping trains carrying supplies to soldiers on the borders cannot be farmers,” Tomar said in his eight-page letter in Hindi.“Because of these people, we have to transport supplies and other essential goods to our troops by air and other means,” he said.Referring to the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Tomar alleged that “the ideology of these people, who are misleading the farmers by hiding behind curtains, was not with the country even during the war of 62.” and added, “today, these people are again speaking the language of 62”.While Tomar’s statements have been seen as pitting the jawan (soldier) against the kisan (farmers), several ex-servicemen associations have extended support to the protest against the three agriculture laws.Tomar’s allegation also comes days after an unidentified man in a standard Army uniform was seen participating in the farmers’ protest in Bathinda. In the pictures, which were shared multiple times on social media, the Sikh man is seen holding a placard which says “My father is a farmer. If he is a terrorist then I am also a terrorist”.Many ex-servicemen organisations in Punjab have taken an active part in the protests at the borders of Delhi. Some army veterans camping at the Singhu border, reportedly also collected 5,000 gallantry medals that they sought to return “in lieu” of the Centre’s decision to repeal the three farm laws.Also read: Top BJP Leaders Continue to Claim That Farmers Are Being ‘Misled’, Defend Laws“I come from a family of both jawans (soldiers) and kisans (farmers) from which eight men have been martyred either in war or at the border. I was proud of that fact but because of what the government is doing to us now, it has begun feeling like this country is no longer worth living in, leave alone to die for,” Havaldar Balwant Singh from Haryana’s Jhajjar said.“I have just returned from the dharna at the Tikri border. We are sending jathas (groups) of 20 ex-servicemen everyday to take part in the protests. However, we have not decided to return our medals,” Havildar Bhola Singh of Ex-servicemen Welfare Union, Bathinda, said.“We are a group of 1,000 ex-servicemen who are headed towards the Singhu border and have just crossed Panipat. We are taking full part in the farmers protest,” Capt Jaspal Singh, of Indian Veterans Organisation, said.Lt Col SS Sohi (retd), chairman of Ex-Servicemen Grievances Cell, Mohali, said that many veterans were unhappy not only with the manner in which farmers were being treated by the Centre but also the Chief of Defence Staff’s proposal “to increase the service of soldiers and also to reduce the pension by 50 per cent by one estimate”. “This affects the morale of the soldiers and the veterans and we oppose it. You cannot treat your troops in this manner and you also need young Army to take on the enemy,” Sohi said.A few weeks ago, over 100 veterans of the Armed Forces released a statement supporting farmers who were protesting against the three farm laws at the borders of Delhi. The veterans also said that 80% of the serving Armed Forces personnel came from a “farmer background and are a part of the very organic Jawan-Kisan link.”Agriculture minister Tomar’s attempt to frame the protests in opposition to armed forces personnel also evoked memories of an image that had gone viral on social media on December 2, in which a paramilitary troop could be seen swinging his baton at an elderly Sikh man, Sukhdev Singh, at a farmers’ protest. The widely circulated image drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, who said that the government had “pitted the soldier against the farmer”.In his letter, Tomar also alleged that political parties had been misleading farmers that their lands will be taken away under the new laws and asked farmers to think on the basis of facts.Tomar also said it was his duty to “dispel farmers’ misconceptions” and “expose the conspiracy being hatched to create a wall between the farmers and the Centre”.“I am from a farming family. I have grown up seeing, understanding the challenges of farming. I have seen the distress of untimely rain, the happiness of timely monsoon. These were parts of my growing up. I have also seen the week-long wait to sell crops,” the agriculture minister wrote in the open letter.Also read: Ravi Shankar Prasad’s ‘Tukde Tukde’ Jibe at Farmers Reflects His Disconnect With RealityHe said the farmers had to think about what their goal was when they started their movement and what was happening now.“The Congress did not implement the Swaminathan Committee report for 8 years, how can the Congress be a well-wisher of farmers… Why have UPA government ministers, who used to write letters in favour of these reforms, done a U-turn now,” he said and added, “They [Congress] have even questioned our Army and their supreme sacrifice in Leh-Ladakh.”“The Aam Aadmi Party wrote in its Punjab election manifesto that it will give farmers the facility to sell their produce outside the mandi, why is it now speaking against it,” Tomar said and claimed that SAD leaders, who were a part of the committee that recommended agriculture reforms, were now opposing these laws.“At a time when the country is moving forward with its resolve of Atmanirbhar Bharat and vocal is going local, the intention of these people who have called for the boycott of India’s products must be identified,” Tomar said, referring to a call for the boycott of products by the Ambani and Adani groups by some unions.Tomar’s letter was also retweeted by PM Modi who requested all “annadatta” to read the letter. “Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomarji has written a letter to farmer brothers and sisters and expressed his feelings, he has made an effort to engage in a humble dialogue. I request all ‘annadaatas’ (farmers), do read it. I also request all the people of the country to ensure that this letter reaches more and more people,” Modi tweeted in Hindi.In recent weeks, several senior ministers and BJP leaders are in the process of mobilising support for the new farm laws and have blamed the opposition for the protests, accusing them of “misleading” farmers.