Farmers burn copies of farm laws across Punjab

Tribune News Service

Patiala/Muktsar, June 5

Farmers burnt the copies of the Centre’s three farm laws near residences of BJP leaders and at other places in Patiala and Rajpura on Saturday, observing the day of the promulgation of the farm ordinances last year as ‘Sampoorna Kranti Diwas’.

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Farmers carrying black flags raised slogans against the BJP-led central government for not scrapping the legislation which, they said, would destroy the farming community.

Farmers gathered in Rajpura and burnt the hoardings of BJP leaders, including Harjeet Grewal, while in Patiala they protested against BJP leader Bhupesh Aggarwal. Heavy police was deployed and barricades put up near the protest sites to maintain law and order, even as farmers managed to reach the protest sites.

In Muktsar, the district police had made strict security arrangements near the residence of BJP’s Muktsar district president Rajesh Pathela. The farmers could not reach there and burnt the copies of the three farm Bills on Tibbi Sahib Road at some distance. In Bathinda, the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) staged a protest outside the houses of BJP leaders Dyal Dass Sodhi at Tungwali and Vinod Kumar Binta at Bhucho Mandi. The farmers also burnt the copies of the laws outside the office of the SDM, Talwandi Sabo, and staged a protest at Fire Brigade Chowk here.

Senior leaders Mothu Singh Kotra and Harjinder Singh Baggi said the new laws were being rolled out in the name of economic reforms by the BJP government. They said attempts were being made to tarnish the image of Punjab by fanning the flames of religious issues.

In Jalandhar, farmers burnt copies of the three farm ordinances and marched to the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia to mark a year of the passing of the farm laws and the anniversary of the protests at the Delhi borders. Members of the BKU (Rajewal) held protests at the DC office, Nakodar, while those of the Kirti Kisan Union and Dehati Mazdoor Sabha raised slogans and burnt the copies of the laws outside BJP leaders’ residences.

‘Corporates making products costlier’

Farm leaders Mothu Singh Kotra and Harjinder Singh Baggi said by handing over public institutions to corporate houses, household products and facilities were becoming inaccessible to the people of the country due to their high cost. They said attempts were being made to tarnish the image of Punjab by fanning the flames of religious issues.

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