Farmers Blocking Delhi-Chandigarh Highway End Protest As Haryana Govt Agrees To MSP Demand

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the government has also agreed to withdraw the cases filed against the farmers.

Agitating farmers who had blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway near Pipli for two days ended their protest on Tuesday after the Haryana government assured them of appropriate price for sunflower crop. Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the government has also agreed to withdraw the cases filed against the farmers.

"We are ending our protest. The blocked roads will be opened today. We were protesting so that our crops are purchased at MSP. We will keep fighting for MSP across the country. Our leaders will also be released soon. Cases filed against our leaders will be taken back," ANI quoted Tikait as saying.

The impasse was resolved at a meeting this evening with the government representatives. 

The farmers had demanded that the government should procure sunflower seeds on MSP and the farmer leaders arrested in Shahabad recently should be released. The farmers are demanding that the Haryana government procure sunflower seeds at an MSP of Rs 6,400 per quintal, PTI reported.

Kurukshetra's Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma said the protesting farmers have been assured of appropriate price for sunflower crop. "Haryana government has always stood in support of the farmers," he further said.

The farmers had blocked the National Highway-44 near Pipli, which connects Delhi with Chandigarh, and some other routes since Monday after holding a mahapanchayat on the issue.

The 'MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat' was held at a grain market in Pipli close to NH-44. Subsequently, the farmers blocked the highway. Farmers from Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also attended the mahapanchayat.

Earlier in the day, Tikait said the issue of MSP for sunflower crop was not only affecting farmers in Haryana but the entire farmer community.

"We are demanding an MSP law for all crops, as promised by the Union government when we withdrew the farmers' agitation against the now repealed farm laws," PTI quoted Tikait as saying.

Last week, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released Rs 29.13 crore as interim compensation to 8,528 farmers for sunflowers grown on 36,414 acres. 

Under the 'Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana' -- price difference payment scheme -- the state government is giving Rs 1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crop sold below MSP, PTI reported.