Haryana farmers threaten to restart stir

Rohtak/Karnal, March 21

On the call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) against the Centre for not accepting their demands, representatives of various farmer outfits today took out a protest march, staged dharna and submitted a memorandum to the district authorities.

Inderjit Singh, state vice-president, All India Kisan Sabha, said protests were being held across the country against the Modi government, which had failed to fulfil its written assurances made before the suspension of yearlong stir on the Delhi borders.

“The government has neither formed a committee to fix the MSP for the crops nor withdrawn the cases booked against the farmers during the agitation,” he added.

Another farm leader Virendra Hooda said they were also demanding the cancellation of the bail granted to the main accused — Ashish Mishra — in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

The protesters warned the government of resuming the agitation if the assurances were not fulfilled soon.

Meanwhile, a protest march was also taken out from the Jat dharamshala to the Karnal mini secretariat. They handed over a memorandum to City Magistrate Mayank Bhardwaj for the President in support of their demands.

Farm leader Surinder Singh Dhuma said the Centre had betrayed them. “Months have passed after the lifting of dharna from the borders, but the Centre still hasn’t fulfilled its promises,” said Bhadur Singh Mehla, another farm leader.