Punjab farmers start 3-day ‘pucca morcha’ outside residences of BJP leaders

Sangrur, February 20

On the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), members of various farmer organisations today started a ‘pucca morcha’ for three days in front of the residence of a BJP leader and former MLA, Arvind Khanna, on the Government Ranbir College road here.

The dharna is in protest against firing of tear gas shells on farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.

Addressing the farmers, a state-level leader of the BKU (Dakonda), Jagmohan Singh Patiala, and state-level leader of Kirti Kisan Union Bhupinder Singh Longowal said that on one hand the Centre had been benefiting big corporate houses by waiving their loans to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, while on the other hand the government had not been doing so for the farmers. They said that despite making promises to the farmers, the Central Government had not been solving farm-related issues.

Other farm leaders said that the government had not been enacting a law to give guaranteed MSP on crops as recommended in the Swaminathan Report.

Ferozepur: Farmers held a protest in front of the residence of senior BJP leader and former Cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi in Ferozepur.

Farmers raised slogans against the NDA government. Gurpreet Singh Pojo ke, a farmer union leader, said though the NDA government claimed to be farmer-friendly, it was a fact that it had back-stabbed farmers.