13 June,2023 08:24 AM IST | Kurukshetra | Agencies
Farmers block NH-44, in Kurukshetra, on Monday. Pic/PTI
Farmers on Monday blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway after holding a mahapanchayat in this district to press for minimum support price for sunflower seed. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) would start a pan-India agitation if a law for MPS, "as promised by the Union government", is not brought.
The "MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao mahapanchayat", called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni), was held at a grain market in Pipli close to National Highway-44. After the mahapanchayat the farmers gathered on the highway, blocking it. At the mahapanchayat, farmer leader Karam Singh Mathana said the local administration had assured them of a meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss their demands. "But now they say the chief minister has left Karnal", hence the blockade.
On June 6, farmers led by BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni blocked NH-44 near Shahabad demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds at MSP. Police used water cannons and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters. Later, nine BKU (Charuni) leaders were arrested over various charges, including rioting.
Tikait said the government should procure sunflower on MSP and the farmer leaders be released. SKM leader Shiv Kumar Sharma later said that cases filed against 1.48 lakh farmers during their year-long agitation against the Centre's three farm laws have still not been withdrawn contrary to PM Narendra Modi's promise on November 19, 2021. "The government had promised us that all these cases would be withdrawn within 30 days..." he said.
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