Protesting unions writes to President seeking unconditional release of arrested farmers

NEW DELHI: The Samkyukta Kisan Morcha on Wednesday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding "unconditional" release of arrested farmers and withdrawal of "false" cases in connection with the stir against the agri laws.

In its letter, the Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions agitating against the three central laws, also said that notices allegedly being sent by police and other investigating agencies to the protesting farmers should be stopped.

"Under the banner of Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, farmers have been staging sit-in around Delhi for the last three months, but hundreds of farmers and agitation supporters have been lodged in jails by the Government of India and many state governments and false cases have been registered against them," stated the letter shared by the SKM.

It saidthat "innocent" farmers should be released from jails without any condition.

The letter was sent to the President as protesting farmer unions observed the day as "Daman Pratirodh Diwas".

Meanwhile, the SKM welcomed the release of climate activist Disha Ravi, arrested by the Delhi Police in the toolkit case earlier this month.

On Tuesday night, Ravi was released from Tihar Jail hours after a city court granted her bail.

"SKM welcomed many observations made by judge Dharmender Rana in his orders," it stated.

"SKM demanded immediate action against the Delhi Police which flouted many norms and arrested Disha Ravi in an illegal and extra-constitutional manner," the statement stated.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the three Delhi border points of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri since late November to press for a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.

Scores were arrested when protesters taking part in a tractor rally on January 26 deviated from the path, clashed with the police and stormed the Red Fort.