Farmers’ organizations differ on protest against Modi’s Ferozepur rally

Chandigarh, Jan 2 (UNI) Difference of opinion has started coming to the fore among farmers’ organizations to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Punjab’s Ferozepur on January 5, it was reported on Sunday.
While Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti has announced that it will oppose PM Modi’s Ferozepur rally, Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) has refused to take any such step. At the same time, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders expressed their ignorance of the announcement of any organization opposing the proposed rally.
On being asked about the committee’s announcement to oppose the Prime Minister’s rally, State BJP President Ashwani Sharma said there is no point to protest since demands of the farmers have been accepted. The BJP leader said that he is traveling all over the state preparing for the rally and nowhere has he seen any opposition to the PMs rally.
Union State President Joginder Singh Ugrahan said that there will be no disturbance to the Prime Minister’s rally, but the protest would continue. He claimed that the central government after abolishing the farm laws has put on hold all other demands of the United Kisan Morcha.
The government has not yet taken any step towards sacking the Union Minister of State for Home for the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, withdrawing the murder cases registered against the farmers of Uttar Pradesh, canceling the cases registered against the farmers in Delhi and Haryana. He said that the government is not even proactive on the issue of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops. Ugrahan said on January 5, effigies of the central government will be burnt at district and tehsil headquarters.
According to Ugrahan, a meeting will be held with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on January 7 regarding the demands of the farmers of the state. In the meeting matters related to the promises made by the Congress government including loan waiver of farmers, curbing of the drugs menace, providing employment to the youth will be raised. He clarified that his organization will neither participate in politics nor support any party.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan leaders during the state level meeting taking place at Teachers Home in Bathinda on Wednesday.– Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

On the other hand, Satnam Singh Pannu of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti Committee and General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher issued a statement saying that the farmers will not allow the Prime Minister’s rally to take place in Ferozepur. The decision to oppose the rally was taken in a state level meeting of the committee.

The Prime Minister has repealed all three agricultural laws, but making MSP guarantee law, reforming the pollution act, canceling the Electricity Amendment-2020, compensation of one crore rupees and a government job to the families of farmers who died during the agitation, release of arrested farmers and many other demands are still pending. He said that the committee has appealed to the farmers from across Punjab to gather at Ferozepur to register their protest.
The leaders of the committee made it clear that the farmers have not withdrawn their agitation, but have merely postponed it.
The committee has also warned the state government to implement the agreed demands of the farmers and laborers by January 4, otherwise they would stage protests outside the residence of all the ministers and MLAs across the state.
For the upcoming Punjab election, PM Modi will keep off the election campaign from Ferozepur by rallying for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (United) coalition led by Taksali leader and former Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.