The meeting came a day after the Punjab Police thwarted the farmers' attempt to go to Chandigarh on the SKM's call for a week-long dharna beginning Wednesday, as multiple checkpoints were set up across the state and security was stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory (UT)
Pic/PTI
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday announced that it will hold 'dharnas' outside the residences of AAP MLAs on March 10 in protest against the Punjab Police's action against farmers.
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A decision in this regard was taken by an emergency meeting held by the SKM in Ludhiana.
The meeting came a day after the Punjab Police thwarted the farmers' attempt to go to Chandigarh on the SKM's call for a week-long dharna beginning Wednesday, as multiple checkpoints were set up across the state and security was stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory (UT).
The SKM, a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, had given the call for the sit-in at Chandigarh in support of the farmers' various demands, including purchase of six crops at minimum support price (MSP) by the state government.
In the meeting held in Ludhiana on Thursday, the SKM leaders strongly condemned the Punjab Police's action against the farmers.
Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said in the meeting that a decision has been taken to hold 'dharnas' outside the residences of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators on March 10 from 11 am to 3 pm.
He slammed the AAP government for preventing the farmers from going to the UT to raise their voices.
"The AAP government did not allow us to move to Chandigarh," he said.
Lakhowal further said the SKM has also decided to lift their 'dharnas' which started at many places in Punjab on Wednesday after the police stopped them to head towards Chandigarh.
The SKM leaders also slammed the AAP leaders, accusing them of spreading "false propaganda" that the farmers' demands were related to the Centre only.
SKM leader Buta Singh Burjgill said the majority of their demands were related to the Punjab government.
"Our 18 demands were related to the Punjab government only. What they (AAP leaders) are saying that our demands are only concerned with the Centre is false," said Burgill.
He said they have demanded an MSP for six crops -- basmati, maize, moong, potatoes, cauliflower and peas -- which are connected with the Punjab government. Jobs and compensation for kin of many farmers who lost lives during the farmers' stir in 2020-21 are yet to be given, said Burgill, while alleging that the AAP government was trying to "defame" the SKM.
They further said many of their demands, accepted by the Punjab government earlier, were yet to be implemented.
The SKM leaders dared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to hold a debate with them over the farmers' demands on March 15.
Mann on Tuesday lashed out at several farmer bodies for resorting to protests every other day and accused them of turning Punjab into a "state of dharnas" and causing a huge loss to it.
The chief minister denounced the farmer organisations after talks between the Punjab government and the SKM leaders to discuss farmers' demands broke down midway on Monday.
The SKM, which had led the 2020 agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws, is demanding implementation of the state's agricultural policy, purchase of six crops at MSP by the state government, a legal framework for debt relief after coordinating with the Centre, ownership rights of land tillers and payment of sugarcane arrears.
It is also pressing to stop the "forcible" acquisition of land for the Bharatmala projects, jobs, compensation for kin of farmers who lost lives during the farmers' stir in 2020-21, revoke the policy of installing prepaid electricity metres, resolving the issue of stray animals and curbing black marketing of fertilisers and spurious seeds.
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