Kisan Cong to lay siege to Agri ministry

The Kisan Congress, the farmers' body of the Congress, on Thursday announced to lay siege to the Krishi Bhawan, headquarters of the Union Agriculture Ministry, situated off the Parliament House just across the road here on Friday on the farmers' protest at Delhi borders crossing three months.

Its vice-president Surender Solanki said the farmers will assemble at the AICC Headquarters on Akbar Road at 11.30 am and then march to the Krishi Bhawan. He said the farmers will “gherao” Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and his office to press for the agitating farmers' demand to withdraw the three contentious farm laws.

“The Kisan Congress has been standing with the agitating farmers since day 1 at Delhi-Haryana Tikri border. Friday's siege is our peaceful effort to awaken the BJP government which has been ignoring the issues of farmers for the last three months,” he said, noting that more than 200 farmers had lost their lives while protesting, but the government remained adamant.

The Bhartiya Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farmers' unions, on Tuesday threatened to march to Parliament, Agriculture. Its leader Rakesh Tikait of U's Bharatiya Kisan Union challenged the government to let Parliamentary Standing Committee monitor gains and losses from the three laws to understand the reality.

Union Agriculture Minister Tomar wondered on Wednesday why the farmers should march to Parliament when the government is ready to resume the talks if they respond to the government's offer to put on hold the three laws for one-and-ahalf year and work out the differences through a joint committee.