New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS): A day after a clash broke out between protesting farmers and local residents at Singhu border, which resulted in injuries to a senior police official and seven farmers, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday said that farmers acted in self-defence.

Coming out in support of farmers, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the attack on Alipur SHO Pradeep Paliwal was unfortunate and protesters might have attacked police officials in self-defence.

At a press conference on Saturday, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Farmers were surrounded by goons and they were attacked. Those who attacked farmers were not locals but BJP's party workers and they acted on behalf of their leaders."

He alleged that on Friday, BJP workers in the garb of local residents attacked farmers at Singhu and Tikri borders and the internet services were deliberately shut down to hide the truth of the assault on protesting farmers.

"The BJP is calling these farmers terrorists. The farmers have been camping for more than two months on the borders behind barricades. Just before January 26, the BJP set up new camps outside the barricades. The police allowed these people to set up their camps and these were run by BJP agent Deep Sidhu. We have videos where BJP MP Sunny Deol claims Sidhu is like his own brother," added Bharadwaj .

Bharadwaj also alleged that despite heavy Delhi Police and Central forces personnel deployment, locals entered the protest site and assaulted farmers. Bharadwaj said, "It was done in a very planned way as BJP goons kept stones in two trucks near the venue. They attacked farmers in the presence of the police."

Following the stone-pelting incident between farmers and local residents, the police had to fire tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to bring the situation under control. A large group of men claiming to be local residents hurled stones at each other at the Singhu border, one of the main protest sites against farm laws.

The police, so far, claimed to have arrested 44 people including the man who attacked SHO Alipur in the violence that broke out on Friday afternoon at Singhu border.