Several farmers leaders detained and their house raised in Punjab claim SKM
The main organisation of the farmers spearheading their protracted movement in support of MSP and several other significant demands at the Delhi Punjab Haryana border Samyukt Kisan Morcha has accused the Punjab police for raiding the houses of several farmers leaders and detaining several of them on Tuesday after the call for farmers protest at Chandigarh was given by SMM. Several leaders were also house arrested reveal the latest news. Several farmers have gone underground gearing their arrest after learning about the news of raids and subsequent detention of several farmer leaders. Prior to the Chandigarh Dharna the police raided the house of president of Bhartiya Kusaan Union, Ugraanha Joginder Singh Unhraaha but he wasn’t there, having gond underground. After this several policeman raided the houses of farmers leaders in Barnala, Punjab. The block level leader of Kirti Kisan Union Daljinder Singh Haripau has been arrested in Tuesday. The farmers leader of Maulvivala village under the jurisdiction of police station Paantda, Kulwant Singh has been arrested. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal claimed that the Punjab Police “raided” the residences of SKM leaders early in the morning. Lakhowal said, “The government cannot suppress the voice of farmers with such actions, said Lakhowal adding that “We are fighting in support of the various demands of the farmers.” He said that policemen are also deployed at his residence. He appealed the farmers to reach Chandigarh in large numbers and make the protest Dharna successful. Condemning the police action in strongest possible terms – SKM (Rajewal) vice-president Mukesh Chandra Sharma claimed, “The police raided their residence at 4 am.” Farmer leaders said that this police action came a day after the meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and SKM leaders failed. Talks between the Punjab government and SKM leaders to discuss the demands of farmers broke down midway on Monday. Farmer leaders claimed that an ‘angry’ Mann ‘walked out of the meeting without any provocation’. Mann, however, had said that his doors are always open for talks with farmers but inconvenience and harassment to the public in the name of the agitation should be avoided said the chief minister Punjab emphatically. The SKM has called for a week-long dharna in Chandigarh from March 5 in support of its various demands. The SKM had led the 2020 agitation against the three now-repealed farm laws.
The Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann after the meeting said that he won’t allow the blockade of roads, blockage of trains, blockade of traffic by the agitating farmers. Punjab has already suffered tremendously. My patience shouldn’t be tested and I may not be compelled to take stringent measures against the agitating farmers said Bhagwant Mann, Punjab CM.
The Samyukt Kisan Movement is demanding withdrawal of the Centre’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) on the basis of the Swaminathan Commission report, implementation of state agriculture policy and procurement of six crops at MSP by the state government including withdrawal of all the cases against the farmers during the farmers movements.
