Farmers' protest continues on Day 2, Manohar Lal Khattar tags it a non-issue

Manohar Lal Khattar

As farmers across India continue their 10-day long nationwide strike in major states of the country, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stated the reason for the protest as a 'non-issue'.

"They don't have any issue; they are just focusing on unnecessary things through this strike. Not selling produce will bring losses to the farmers only," Khattar said.

Besides Khattar, Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Balkrishna Patidar also dismissed the issue and claimed that farmers are happy with the State and Central government. "It's 2nd June today. Where is the strike happening? No farmers are participating in the strike. Farmers are happy with the schemes that the Chief Minister has launched for them. They have faith that State and Central government will solve their problems," Patidar said.

On the second day of the strike on Saturday, farmers in Punjab's Ludhiana continued their protest and threw vegetable produce on roads. The strike started on Friday when thousands of farmers from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana started a 10-day nationwide strike demanding waiver of loans, right price for their crops and implementation of recommendations of Swaminathan Commission.

The protests were called to mark the first anniversary of the Mandsaur demonstration in Madhya Pradesh, in which six farmers were killed in police firing. As part of the protest, farmers have shut down the supply of milk, vegetables and essential farm produce due to which the vegetable prices in the market have gone up.

Vendors at Delhi's Okhla vegetable market say prices have shot up extensively due to the country-wide farmers' protest. The decision to stop supplies starting from June 1 till June 10 was taken by farmers under the banner of Kisan Ekta Manch and Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh, which claim to be representing 172 farmer outfits. On the last day of the protest on June 10, the farmers' bodies will organise 'Bharat Bandh'.

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