New Delhi: Farmer leaders on Friday reiterated their commitment to the "Delhi Chalo" movement until their demands are addressed, stating that they will announce their next course of action on March 3 after a memorial service for a protester who died during clashes with Haryana security forces in Khanauri, news agency PTI reported.
They affirmed plans to intensify the existing protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders while organising a sit-in demonstration in Dabwali to further press for their demands.
At the Shambhu border, leaders Manjeet Singh Rai and Jaswinder Singh Longowal said that further announcements would follow after the final prayers at the native village of deceased Shubhkaran Singh in Bathinda district.
Shubhkaran Singh lost his life, and around 12 police officers sustained injuries during clashes at the Khanauri border on February 21.
Longowal, responding to media queries regarding the status of the "Delhi Chalo" protest, asserted its continuity and condemned the Central and Haryana governments for resorting to "repressive measures" against peaceful protesters.
"In a democracy, is it justified to resort to firing bullets? Our movement will go on. It will head to victory. However, it's necessary to safeguard our youth from bullets," Longowal said.
Earlier in the day, another farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher criticised the government's negligence of farmers' demands, attributing it to the ruling party's preoccupation with upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Pandher urged the government to guarantee Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops legally and address other grievances of the protesting farmers.
"Instead of addressing farmers' concerns, the government is fixated on electoral victories," Pandher said, reaffirming the farmers' determination to continue their agitation until their demands are met.
Notably, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are leading the "Delhi Chalo" march to pressure the government into accepting their demands.