200 farmers begin protest against agri laws at Jantar Mantar
With ‘Kisan Sansad’, we have shown that the agitation is still alive and we will take our right. SHIV KUMAR KAKKA , Farmer leader
NEW DELHI: Amid heavy security, a group of 200 farmers protesting the Centre’s three agri laws started a ‘Kisan Sansad’ at central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday, a few metres away from Parliament where the Monsoon Session is underway.
Farmers said the idea behind organising the ‘Kisan Sansad’ was to show that their agitation is still alive and tell the Centre that they too know how to run the Parliament. Police said the security has been tightened and thousands of personnel have been deployed in the area in view of the protest. Farmer leader Raminder Singh Patiala said, “There will be three sessions of the ‘Sansad’. Six members have been selected who will be chosen as speaker and deputy speaker for the three sessions. In the first session, farmer leaders Hannan Mollah and Manjeet Singh were selected for posts.
Another leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said after the Republic Day incident, the farmers this time decided to make the gathering small. “Neither we nor the government were comfortable with large gathering.
“The members who want to speak are giving their names to the speaker and deputy speaker. There will be lunch and teabreak and we have everything with us,” he said.
Elaborating on the need for the ‘Kisan Sansad’, he said, the media has been reporting on the Covid situation across the country and a message was going that the agri movement was dying.
“With ‘Kisan Sansad’, we have shown that the agitation is still alive and we will take our right,” Kakka said.