Bharat Bandh will give boost to farm agitation, say SKM leaders

KARNAL: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders have urged farmers, members of trade unions and government employees to support the Bharat Bandh call given by the Morcha leaders for September 27.

Farm leaders including Gurnam Singh Charuni and Darshan Pal held a kisan mahapanchayat at Ismailabad in Kurukshetra on Wednesday.

Addressing the farmers, Pal said, “We have come to seek support for complete Bharat Bandh on September 27 to ensure all roads, trains, markets and educational institutions will remain closed from 6am to 4pm.”

He said the SKM has urged all student unions, trade unions, transporters and employees unions and BJP’S opposition parties to support the Bharat Bandh.

He praised farmers of Haryana for their ongoing protests against the ruling parties despite the FIRS and lathicharge.

“It is because of farmers that leaders the ruling parties could not attend any programme and not even visit to any village,” he said, adding that Haryana played an important role in this agitation.

Charuni said the Bharat

Bandh will give a new strength to the ongoing agitation against the Centre. “We are also requesting all government officials to support the Bandh by not going to their offices,” he said.

On questions about a committee formed by the Haryana government to open roads at the Delhi borders, Pal said the roads are not blocked by farmers but the barricading has been done by the Delhi Police.

Pal skipped question about the differences between farm leaders from Punjab and Charuni, saying that all leaders are united in this agitation. Controversial activist Lakha Sidhana also addressed the farmers.