Kolkata: Farmer leaders including Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on issues related to agriculture and local farmers. The WB CM assured her support to the protesting farmers.
"We are supporting the farmers movement till all their demands are not met," Mamata Banerjee said at a press conference here on Wednesday. She also mentioned of how the TMC has been in support of the protesting farmers from the beginning.
Tikait congratulated Mamata over her electoral victory over the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said, "The Chief Minister assured us that she will continue to support the farmers' movement. We thank her for this assurance. West Bengal should work as a model state and farmers should be given more benefits."
During the press conference, Mamata Banerjee also spoke of how the country is "starving" due to various issues like unemployement, etc. "For the last 7 months, they (Central government) didn't bother to speak to farmers. I demand that all three farm laws are withdrawn," she said.
The farmer leader also urged the CM to bring fruits, vegetable and milk products also under the ambit of MSP, so that it becomes a "model" for other states. Yudhvir Singh, general secretary of the BKU, told PTI earlier, "We want to congratulate Mamata Banerjee for her electoral victory and to elicit her support for the move to give farmers a fair MSP for their crops."
Tikait and other leaders have been protesting on the borders of Delhi since 26 November 2020.
(With additional inputs from Manogya Loiwal)