Noida/Ghaziabad: For the second time in three days, a rally by an outfit claiming to represent UP farmers hit the streets in NCR in support of the Centre’s new farming laws, contradicting scores of farmers’ groups protesting on Delhi’s borders since November 26-27.
The pop-up rally at the Mahamaya flyover in Noida on Tuesday by ‘Kisan Sangharsh Samiti’ came just two days after another outfit, Hind Majdoor Kisan Samiti (HMKS), organised a similar demonstration in Ghaziabad in support of the laws.
It was around 11am that members of ‘Kisan Sangharsh Samiti’ started their march towards Delhi.
This led to long snarls on the Noida expressway, which continued for almost three hours. Raju Bhati, who claimed to be a farmer from a nearby Noida village, said, “We want the three laws to be implemented at the earliest. Those who are protesting against the laws are actually middlemen. They have nothing to do with the actual farmers.”
Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, which is at the forefront of protests at several border points, raised questions on the authenticity of the outfits that are supporting the laws, pointing out that they had not even heard about them earlier.
They even alleged that the participants of the two rallies that were organised on Sunday and Tuesday had been paid to claim they were farmers. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, who is among farmer leaders to hold talks with the Centre, had alleged that the Sunday rally by HMKS was an attempt by the government to derail their movement.
On Tuesday, BJP’s Surendra Nagar met members of the Sangharsh Samiti and told them he would facilitate a meeting with agriculture minister Narendra Tomar. “They said they wanted to meet the agriculture minister and were told that some of their representatives would be allowed to go. The march on Tuesday proved that the laws are in favour of the farmers, which is why people are supporting them. Those protesting the laws actually have vested interests,” he added.
Yogesh Pratap Singh, the state president of BKU-Bhanu, asked how members of the Sangharsh Samiti were allowed to bring out a march when those protesting against the laws were being stopped everywhere.
Tikait claimed those who attended the Ghaziabad rally were “paid to attend it”. “This outfit has come up at this time with an aim to discredit our protest,” Tikait said.
Rajpal Singh, president of HMKS, said the outfit had been working in areas like Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor and in parts of Uttarakhand. “We have been working for the uplift of farmers and labourers in the region for quite some time but always kept a low profile,” said Rajpal Singh. Asked when the HKMS came into existence, he added, “The Hind Majdoor Kisan Samiti, though working for a long time, was registered a week ago.” He said the Sunday rally was “our first big rally”.
“We were watching the farmers’ protest very closely. The day the Prime Minister dispelled apprehension about the farm laws, we decided to put our weight behind the government. So, we organised a rally in their favour,” said Singh, who had later met agriculture minister Narendra Tomar. “We had received an invitation from the ministry, and after the rally, we met the agriculture minister and offered our support,” said Singh.