Lucknow: Undeterred with the repeal of farm laws, the farmers have decided to continue agitation till the union government calls them on the negotiating table. The agitating farmers have added few more demands now, which include repeal of electricity amendment bill and law for the guarantee of minimum support price.
On Monday, several thousand farmers gathered in Lucknow at the maha panchayat called by the Samykta Kisan Morcha (SKM), joint front of various farmers’ organisations. Addressing the panchayat, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the agitation was not for the farm laws alone but there are several other demands also. He said that stir would go on till the demands are being fulfilled. He said the union government must come forward and hold talks with farmers if they want us to go back home. Tikait said that government has not thought of the several hundred farmers who died during the yearlong agitation. Besides the union minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son had crushed farmers to death is continuing on his post.
The farmers’ leader Tikait said that it seems the government does not want to talk the farmers after repealing the farm laws. The sooner they start negotiation on other demands the farmers will start withdrawing from the agitation site.
SKM leader Yogendra Yadav in his address to maha panchayat said that farmers had given a reply to BJP in recently held Bengal election and now they would do the same in UP also. He said that till date government has not spoken a single word on MSP, which shows their arrogance. Morcha leader from Punjab Balbir Singh Rajewal said that agitation will continue and all the programmes scheduled earlier will go on.
In Lucknow maha panchayat, Morcha leaders told farmers about the six demands that has been raised before the Prime Minister. These include law giving guarantee of MSP, withdrawal of electricity amendment bill, waiver of fine on burning agri waste, with drawl of cases from farmers lodged during agitation, termination of union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni and compensation to farmer’s families who died during the stir. Besides the SKM has also demanded land at the Singhu border where farmers have been staging dharna for the last one year. The morcha would construct memorial in the name of farmers died or killed during the agitation. The farmers had written a letter to the Prime Minister on Sunday highlighting these demands.
Owaisi and BJP Kins: Tikait
Taking a jibe on AIMIM leader Owaisi and his demand of repealing CAA-NRC on the tune of farm bills, the farmer’s leader Rakesh Tikait said that BJP could easily fulfill this demand. Tikait said that in fact, both Owaisi and BJP are kins and both have a relationship of Uncle & Nephew. He said that instead of making any demand with BJP on television, Owaisi should tell directly to BJP high command. I am sure BJP will not disappoint him, as both are closely associated. It may be mentioned that a day earlier Owaisi while addressing a rally in Barabanki, UP, had asked union government to repeal CAA-NRC as has been done in the case of farm laws.
