New Delhi, August 22
Thousands of farmers today gathered at the Jantar Mantar in the national Capital to take part in a “mahapanchayat” called to press for legislation on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farm loan waiver and other issues. Apart from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, farmers from states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala also arrived amid heightened security in the national capital.
The ‘mahapanchayat’ also discussed the future course of action regarding their demands, including the sacking of Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni in view of his son’s connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
The day-long protest saw farmers reiterating demands like legal guarantee for the MSP and the cancellation of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, criticising and raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre for “not fulfilling its promises”.
Farmers’ leaders said if the government does not fulfil the demands, protests will be intensified. Abhimanyu Singh Kohar of the SKM (non-political) and one of the organisers of the ‘mahapanchayat’ said during the anti-farm laws protests the Centre had promised to consider all their demands but did nothing.
“We are again to raise our demands and chalk out the future strategy of the movement,” he said.
The SKM (non-political) is a breakaway group of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) which spearheaded the protests at Delhi’s borders against the three central, now repealed, farm laws.
As farmers reached Delhi, via road and also on trains, the Delhi police deployed layers of barricades at various points and checked every vehicle entering the national capital at the borders, resulting in traffic snarls.
SKM (non-political) leaders claimed at some locations,farmers were being also stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar, which the Delhi Police denied. BKU leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal claimed farmers were stopped from entering and the vehicles were stopped at the Karnal bypass.
