New Delhi: Intensifying their protest against the Centre’s newly enacted farm laws, the Kisan Congress on Wednesday announced that it will lay siege to the Union Agriculture Ministry on February 26 on the completion of three months of the farmers’ protest.
3 months of protest: Earlier in the day, Kisan Congress Vice Chairman Surendra Solanki said that on the completion of the three months of the farmers protest at several borders of the national capital over three farm laws, the Kisan Congress will ‘gherao’ (surround) Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and his office on February 26.”
He went on to add that the Kisan Congress activists will also protest at the Union Agriculture Ministry as part of “efforts will be made to awaken the BJP government which has been ignoring the issues of farmers for last three months”. He also added that the Kisan Congress has been standing with the farmers since day 1 at Delhi-Haryana Tikri border.
Over 200 farmers lost their lives: Solanki said that till date more than 200 farmers have lost their lives while protesting against the three farm laws. He said that the farmer movement is being supported not only in the country but also abroad. “The youth of the country are also understanding the problems being faced by the farmers. And the Kisan Congress will continue to fight for the rights and demands of farmers,” he said.
Unions to march to Parliament: On Tuesday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait had said that the farmers would march to the Parliament if the three agricultural laws are not taken back, Moreover, Tikait claimed that farmers would do farming on the lawns located near Parliament and when the crop would mature, the government could analyse the financial yield of the crop.
He further said that a Parliamentary Standing Committee should be formed and monitor this and then the government would get to know about the gains and losses related to it.
Govt ready for talks: In the meantime, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said that the Central government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmers if they respond to its offer to put the three contentious farm laws on hold for one-and-a-half year and work out the difference during that time through a joint committee.
Tomar also added that the Central government is committed towards the interest of farmers and agriculture, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is making efforts to double farmers’ income and strengthen the Indian agriculture sector.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi borders for around three months, seeking repeal of three new laws and a legal guarantee of the MSP. Meanwhile, the government and unions representing farmers have held 11 rounds of talks, the last being on January 22. Talks broke after widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.