Farmers stage dharna in front of ministers’ houses

Members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) on Monday staged a dharna outside the residence of minister Mohinder Bhagat, expressing anger against the government for their forcible eviction from Shambhu and Khanauri borders.

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State president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Salwinder Janian led the protest with district president Gurmail Rerwan. Farmers were agitated as they said they were stopped at three locations even today by the police that were preventing them from lodging a protest even. They had to cross barricades to gather at the site. They said even women farmers had to face hurdles to reach the venue site.

The farmers started their protest around noon and continued to express their anger against the state government for four hours. State vice-president Jasvir Piddi read out the demands of farmer unions which included legal MSP guarantee on crops, reimbursement for the loss of their tractors, bikes, mobiles, kitchenware, furniture and electrical appliances that they had been using at Shambhu and Khanauri morchas.

The farmers are also demanding action against the police for cane charging them at Shambhu. They also alleged that an AAP MLA was behind the action against them. During the protest, Bhagat came out of his house to accept the charter of demands of the farmers and assured them of taking their issues with the government.

Hoshiarpur: The Bharatiya Kisan Union held a protest outside the office of minister Dr Ravjot today.

On this occasion, farmer leader Manjit Singh Rai said the union staged a protest outside the houses of ministers in connection with the betrayal that the government had done to farmers. He said the government played an important role in forcing the farmers to leave the dharna.

He said the government is now torturing the farmers in collaboration with the Centre. He said the government is also silent regarding the theft of farmers’ trolleys from the Khanauri border. He said the Centre has arranged a meeting on May 4. He will attend it, but whether to hold a meeting with the Punjab Government or not will be considered.