Thursday's event a rehearsal for January 26 tractor parade: Farmer leader

CHANDIGARH: With thousands of tractors bedecked with tricolours and farmer outfits' flag of myriad colours swamping the KMP Expressway on the outskirts of Delhi on Thursday, a prominent key leader dubbed the rally as a "rehearsal for the January 26 tractor parade".

"It was a rehearsal for the proposed January 26 tractor parade," Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann told PTI over the phone.

He said farmers started their march from the Singhu and Tikri borders and drove towards the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway in the morning and then they came back later.

"The rally was peaceful and was a complete success," he added.

As farmers, especially youths owing allegiance to various farm bodies took part in a march, their tractors sported tricolour, flags of various farmers' unions and banners mentioning 'No Farmer No Food'.

Farmers also shouted slogans against the Centre for not acceding to their demands.

"We also want to give a message to the Centre through this rally that we will not return till it accepts our demands," said a protesting farmer, adding it also shows farmers' resolve for their fight against the farm legislations.

Balraj Kundu, independent MLA from Meham in Haryana's Rohtak district also participated in a tractor march at the KMP expressway.

"If the government continues to remain adamant, farmers will take out a tractor parade in Delhi on January 26," said Kundu while talking to reporters in Rohtak.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher slammed the BJP-led government for not accepting their demands.

He also accused the government of adopting "double standards" on this issue.

“On one hand, the government is holding talks with farmer leaders and on the other, its ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal are saying these farm laws are in he interest of farmers,” said Pandher.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh have been camping at three Delhi border points --- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for more than a month, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for the minimum support price for their crops.

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Meanwhile, the adequate security personnel were deployed by the Haryana police at KMP toll plaza in the wake of a tractor march.