‘Delhi Chalo’ Protest: Farmer Leaders Deny Raising New Demands, Say Govt ‘Agreed’ On MSP Guarantee Law
Citing a commitment made by the government, the farmer leader said the entire movement was carried out solely to draw the attention of the Centre to these promises.
Delhi Chalo Protest: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, while addressing the media on Tuesday, said that the farmers are not demanding any new demands. Citing a commitment made by the government, the farmer leader said the entire movement was carried out solely to draw the attention of the Centre to these promises.
"What we are stating is not a new demand. The Government committed to us. We had repeatedly tried to draw the government's attention to these commitments. However, the government has shown no seriousness to date. When we demand MSP law, they react differently; when we discuss loan waivers and the Swaminathan report, they disagree," Dallewal told reporters.
#WATCH | Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal says, "...What we are saying is not a new demand. That was a commitment to us by the Government. We had tried to draw the attention of Government towards those commitments again and again. But the Government showed no seriousness to… pic.twitter.com/1WugnC6sAQ
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2024
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary of Punjab, Sarwan Singh Pandher, further echoed the same sentiments and told reporters: "We say it today that we are farmers of this country, we do not fight. We demand MSP guarantee law, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, which you have accepted to."
VIDEO | Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, addreses media on the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' protest march.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 13, 2024
"We say it today that we are farmers of this country, we do not fight. We demand MSP guarantee law, implementation of… pic.twitter.com/lrw3ZNjf7f
Further commenting on the police action on the march, Pandher said, "It's shameful how Modi govt 'attacked' farmers".
Slamming Police Action On 'Delhi Chalo' Protest, SKM Writes To PM Ahead Of Gramin Bharat Bandh
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a minimum support price for crops, condemning the government's response to the farmers' 'Dilli Chalo' march, and accusing the government of attempting to "project" division among farmer bodies, news agency PTI reported.
According to the PTI report, the statement urged all farmer organisations to band together and participate in the Gramin Bharat Bandh, which the central trade unions had called for on February 16.
The development comes on the same day that the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation, led by SKM splinter group Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, was met with tear gas shells near Ambala, and Jind protesters attempted to break through police barricades set up by the Haryana Police to prevent them from entering the national capital.
Said the SKM, "Your government and that of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh led by the BJP have resorted to repressive measures on peaceful protests of farmers and unleashed lathi-charge, rubber bullets and tear gas shells, injuring many and inflict an atmosphere of terror on common farmers," as reported by PTI.
The SKM stated their demands, which included MSP for all crops based on the Swaminathan formula of C2+50 (input cost of capital plus 50%), legal procurement guarantees, debt waivers, no increase in electricity tariffs, and no smart metres.
They also demanded free 300 units of power for farming, domestic use, and retail shops, comprehensive crop insurance, and a monthly pension increase to Rs 10,000, among other things.
SKM stated that mass organisations of students, youths, women, and all other sections, including agricultural workers, teachers, small traders, transport operators, professionals, and journalists, have expressed solidarity and support for the February 16 industrial strike and Gramin Bharat Bandh.
"The SKM considers the various Kisan organisations and platforms are also fighting on the same and common demands, hence, all of the like-minded Kisan oragnisations should make an effort to build a common and united struggle on these issues," they said, according to PTI.
The SKM urged them to extend support and participate actively in the February 16 protest.
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