BKU stages protest across west UP to mark ‘black day’
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders and supporters observed “black day” in many districts of west UP on Wednesday to mark six months of the ongoing farmers’ movement against the Centre’s three new agriculture reform laws.
Blaming the government for ignoring the farmers’ movement, they blocked traffic on the Delhi- Saharanpur highway for some time. They vowed to continue their movement until withdrawal of three farm laws and a new law on MSP was enacted.
The protesters hoisted black flags on their houses and tractors in villages of Meerut, Shamli, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor and Saharanpur districts, burnt effigies, shouted slogans and took out processions.
At many places, farmers wore black kurtas and turbans. They engaged in scuffles with police personnel who wanted to prevent them from burning the effigies at some places.
Leaders and supporters of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) supported the protesting farmers and unfurled black flags.
A group of farmers led by BKU general secretary (National Capital Region) Mangeram Tyagi gathered at Kala Aam crossing in Bulandshahr district with black flags and had a scuffle with the police.
“Heavy force was deployed there, which tried to prevent us from burning effigy, but we managed to burn it,” said Tyagi.
Villagers also burnt an effigy at Ghopla village in Partapur area of Meerut district. The protesters shouted slogans against the union government and showed black flags to police personnel who reached the site.
Farmers took out a motorcycle rally through many villages in the Chausana area of Shamli district.
BKU supporters gathered at Vandana Chowk in Baghpat and put up black flags there.
They handed over a memorandum to sub divisional magistrate Anubhav Singh in which they demanded immediate withdrawal of contentious farm laws and a law guaranteeing the purchase of crops at minimum support price (MSP).
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Sudhir Panwar staged a protest at Kandhla town in Shamli district with his party workers.
BKU activists also held protests at Shahpur, Mansoorpur, Purkazi and other places in Muzaffarnagar district.
The family members of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait unfurled a black flag at their house on Circular Road in Muzaffarnagar district. BKU and RLD workers burnt an effigy of the union government in the Bhooraheri area of Muzaffarnagar district.
BKU activists also staged a protest outside their city office in the Numaish area of Saharanpur district.
Farmers displayed black flags and burnt effigies in Najibabad, Dhampur, Kiratpur, Nageena, Chandpur and Bijnor (all in Bijnor), besides various places in the districts of Amroha, Sambhal and Moradabad.