Punjab: SKM to hold 'dharnas' outside residences of AAP MLAs on March 10

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 Polices action against farmersA decision in this regard was taken by an emergency meeting held by the SKM in LudhianaThe meeting came a day after the Punjab Police thwarted the farmers attempt to go to Chandigarh on the SKMs call for a weeklong 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 UTThe SKM a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies had given the call for the sitin at Chandigarh in support of the farmers various demands including purchase of six crops at minimum support price MSP by the state governmentIn the meeting held in Ludhiana on Thursday the SKM leaders strongly condemned the Punjab Polices action against the farmersBharti 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 pmHe slammed the AAP government for preventing the farmers from going to the UT to raise their voicesThe AAP government did not allow us to move to Chandigarh he saidLakhowal 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 ChandigarhThe SKM leaders also slammed the AAP leaders accusing them of spreading false propaganda that the farmers demands were related to the Centre onlySKM leader Buta Singh Burjgill said the majority of their demands were related to the Punjab governmentOur 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 BurgillHe 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 202021 are yet to be given said Burgill while alleging that the AAP government was trying to defame the SKMThey further said many of their demands accepted by the Punjab government earlier were yet to be implementedThe SKM leaders dared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to hold a debate with them over the farmers demands on March 15Mann 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 itThe chief minister denounced the farmer organisations after talks between the Punjab government and the SKM leaders to discuss farmers demands broke down midway on MondayThe SKM which had led the 2020 agitation against the nowrepealed three farm laws is demanding implementation of the states 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 arrearsIt 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 202021 revoke the policy of installing prepaid electricity metres resolving the issue of stray animals and curbing black marketing of fertilisers and spurious seedsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever