Haryana farmers’ unions to protest in Delhi today
CHANDIGARH: Irked over the Centre’s refusal to withdraw the three farm sector Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha, Haryana farmers’ unions on forefront of the agitation have decided to protest in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Gurnam Singh Charuni has refuted reports about cracks in 17 farmers’ unions protesting under the BKU umbrella in Haryana. He claimed that not only farmers in Haryana but also various farmers’ unions of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will descend on the national capital to hold a day-long protest near the Parliament on Wednesday.
To break the logjam, the farmers leaders, including Charuni, were invited to meet BJP MP Dharambir Singh and then Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday.
“The objective of inviting us for talks was to hoodwink the farmers. We boycotted the talks after we were told that the government will not withdraw the ordinances,” Charuni said.
Meanwhile, Haryana BJP chief Dhankar led a delegation of “farmers” along with state agriculture minister JP Dalal and three MPs to meet Tomar.
Dhankar said they submitted a memorandum to Tomar which includes eight demands/suggestions regarding the agriculture ordinances.
Dhankar had deputed three party MPs— Bhiwani-Mahendergarh MP Dharambir Singh, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh— to meet farm union leaders to allay their fears on the ordinances. “The procurement of produce under MSP will continue. There will be no change whatsoever about the MSP and the grain markets. The ordinances have been drafted to protect the interests of the farmers,” Dhankar said.
However, Charuni said: “The farmers union leaders who met Dhankar and then Tomar are not participating in the current agitation in Haryana. How can they speak on behalf of agitating peasants?
Hours before meeting Tomar in Delhi on Tuesday, Charuni had said that farmers of the state want the Centre to give an undertaking that foodgrain procurement will continue under the minimum support price (MSP).
Meanwhile, farmers staged protests at various places in the state on Tuesday, demanding withdrawal of the three agriculture ordinances.
Farmers associated with BKU reached the district headquarters in Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Karnal and Kaithal districts and staged the Kisan BachaoMandi Bachao protest from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Farmers in Jind, Hisar, Bhiwani, Ambala and other districts also held protests and shouted slogans against the government.