FARMERS CALL FOR GHERAO OF RAJ BHAWANS ON 26 JUNE

SONEPAT: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will stage demonstrations outside Raj Bhawans across the country on 26 June and observe the day as “Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas”. “June 26, 1975 was a black day in India’s history as on this day the government had announced the Emergency. The present situation is not far from that. It is like an undeclared emergency. Our agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws completes seven months on June 26. We will observe the day as Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas. We will protest outside Raj Bhawans across the country,” said Inderjit Singh, vice president, All India Kisan Sabha, Haryana. According to SKM, memorandums addressed to the President of India will be handed over to state governors. Farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws have been agitating for over six months. Despite several rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer leaders last year, the deadlock remains. Meanwhile, a report from New Delhi quoted Delhi Police as saying on Saturday that two Special Branch officers were allegedly assaulted by a group of protesting farmers at Singhu Border. After an increase in the number of protesters who came from Panipat two days back, Delhi Police officers of Special Branch were doing ground analysis at the Narela border. “A woman came to us questioned what we were doing there. Then others came and surrounded us. They all seemed to be drunk. They attacked us. My colleague sustained a fracture in his hand. Somehow we managed to save ourselves,” one of the police personnel said. According to Delhi Police, two assistant sub-inspectors of Special Branch were clicking pictures of the protest site at Singhu border on 10 June. Following this, unknown protestors attacked the police personnel.