The protest, over a minimum support price or MSP for crops, by farmers has entered its third day. With this, demonstrators at Shambhu and Khanauri border in Punjab have garnered support of numerous major farmer unions, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 37 farm unions. Among the supporters, the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda-Dhaner Faction have declared a rail roko or train blockade in the State between 12 noon and 4 pm on Thursday.
BKU Ugrahan general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan announced the rail roko will be organised at 10 protest sites “a day before the larger nationwide strike planned for February 16”. The supporting unions had played key roles in the protests in 2021 and have joined the current protests again.
Key Points Of Protest
The rail roko protest will be joined by the BKU Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda-Dhaner Faction at 10 finalised protest sites. Locations will be extended by the evening.
Sites are Rajpura, Sunam, Jethuke village, Moga, Mansa, Malaut, Valla, Barnala, Sangrur, Budhlada. The Amritsar-Jalandhar-Delhi line, the Mansa-Bathinda-Delhi line, Ludhiana-Ferozepur line and many other locations will be impacted by the blockade.
After two “inconclusive” meetings, three Union Ministers – Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai – will meet leaders of farmers in Chandigarh for the third round of talks at 5 pm, said Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher.
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly already had discussions on addressing the farmers’ issues in New Delhi.
The second day of Delhi Chalo Protest was marked by clashes on February 14. The security personnel resorted to intermittent shelling, use of tear smoke as group of farmers moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border point near Ambala. On the other hand, the protesters pelted stones on the security personnel injuring 24 of them. The Data Singhwala-Khanauri border in Haryana’s Jind district witnessed a similar stand-off. Tractor-trolleys of the farmers can be seen lined up on the road at the Shambhu border. Reportedly, more are arriving from different parts of Punjab.
In Delhi, the heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces and the sealing of the area at the Singhu border hit the commuters hard.
BJP On Farmer Protest
• Will gradually expose the illogicality of the demand for a law to guarantee minimum support price or MSP for all crops.
• There is no logic in demanding a law when Parliament Session is over, the Lok Sabha is about to be dissolved, and elections are to be announced.
• The demand would have made sense had they protested after the formation of the new government.
• If some elements in the protest are wearing the mask of being farmers, they should remove it and state their real agenda.
• Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda urged farmers to remain cautious of people wanting “not a solution but a problem… and to create an adverse atmosphere”.
• Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij suggested protesters’ intention seemed to be “something else” as the Centre was willing to talk to farmers.
• Congress has been targeting the ruling party over the farmers’ march since 2021. Hitting back at the Opposition party, BJP Kisan Morcha president Rajkumar Chahar hailed the BJP-led Narendra Modi Government at the Centre for doing “more for farmers than anybody else”. He asked, What has the Congress done?”
The BJP will reach out to prominent community leaders through an intense campaign exposing “Opposition Politics Behind The Protests” and conveying that their demands are “illogical” as MSP as a legal guarantee will adversely hit farmers, stated the party insider. No State Government, including the AAP in Punjab, was ready to make it a legal guarantee, added the functionary.
