CM Mann challenged to agri debate on March 15

Protesting outside the residences of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and ministers, farmers, under the aegis of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), today challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for a debate on agriculture in Chandigarh on March 15.

Members of 37 farmer unions staged protests outside the residences of AAP leaders at 70 places across the state. The four-hour protests, which begun around 11 am, were held against the government crackdown on SKM and BKU leaders between March 3 and 5 for preventing them from protesting in Chandigarh. A majority of the top leaders had been put under preventive arrest. After the government succeeded in foiling their attempt to reach Chandigarh, the SKM and the largest BKU faction had declared that they would protest outside the houses of AAP leaders.

Farmers raised slogans against the government for stopping them from exercising their democratic right to protest. Leaders of all unions, while addressing the gathering of protesters, also said they would now hit out at the ruling party by opposing them in the elections.

In an official statement, the SKM said the AAP government was toeing the agenda of BJP of creating Jat versus non-Jat and urban versus rural by defaming the SKM.

Ludhiana: Various farmer unions under the banner of SKM staged sit-ins in front of the residences and offices of Cabinet Ministers and AAP MLAs in the district. These included residences of ministers Hardeep Singh Mundian at Kohara and Tarunpreet Singh Sond in Khanna. Sit-ins were also held outside the residences of other MLAs in the district.

Muktsar: Farmers lodged protests outside the residences of Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian at Khuddian village, MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar in Muktsar town and legislator Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon at Gidderbaha town for nearly three hours. No demonstration was held outside the residence of Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur in Malout town as she does not reside there.

Fazilka: Farmers sat on a protest outside the residences of AAP MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna and Balluana legislator Amandeep Singh Musaffir Goldy here. Punjab BKU (Kadian) press secretary Master Boota Singh and district president Nishan Singh Arniwala said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was not listening to their genuine demands.

Sangrur: A four-hour dharna was staged in front of the residences of AAP MLAs and ministers at Sangrur, Dhuri, Sunam, Dirba and Lehra. Farmers demonstrated outside the residence of Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj where the president of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), Joginder Singh Ugrahan, addressed the gathering. Protests were also held outside the CM’s camp office in Dhuri where slogans were raised against the government. In Dirba, farmers staged a dharna in front of the office of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while a dharna was staged near the residence of Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, who is also state president of AAP, in Sunam.

Malerkotla: Office-bearers and activists of BKU (Ugrahan), BKU (Dakaunda), Kirti Kisan Union, Zamhoori Kisan Sabha and BKU (Kadian) organised sit-ins in front of the residences of AAP legislators Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman and Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra.

Tarn Taran: Farmers gathered in large numbers to stage dharnas in front of the residences of Tarn Taran MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal and Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar at Patti. Similar sit-ins were also organised near the residences of Khadoor Sahib MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura and Khemkaran legislator Sarwan Singh Dhun.

Patiala: Members of farmer unions affiliated with the SKM blocked a road outside Dev Mann’s house in Nabha in protest against the government over thwarting their attempts to hold an agitation in Chandigarh on March 5. Protesters raised slogans outside the house of Sanaur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra.