At Delhi’s Ramlila ground, farmers vow to ‘expose, oppose, punish BJP’

Thousands of farmers from across the country gathered at Delhi’s Ramlila ground today for a farmer-labourers mahapanchayat in connection with their “five main demands”.  

At the meet organised by farm union Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the farmers demanded a minimum support price for agricultural produce, along with guaranteed purchase of all crops; an all-inclusive loan waiver scheme; halting the privatisation of electricity; and removal of prepaid smart metres.

The farmers also demanded that Ajay Mishra Teni, whom they hold responsible for the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 2021, be removed from his post as minister of state for home affairs. 

Speaking to Newslaundry, the farmers said these are not their demands but “unfulfilled promises” of the Modi government. They also demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah take responsibility and resign over the death of farmer Shubhakaran Singh, who died after alleged police action at the Khanauri border.

Notably, the farmers’ protest is going on at the Punjab and Haryana borders. But the organisations helming those protests did not take part in the mahapanchayat.

However, many farm leaders and activists, including Rakesh Tikait, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Medha Patekar, and Gurnam Chaduni were present at the Ramlila ground, where the farmers took several resolutions, including “exposing, opposing, and punishing the BJP”, and orchestrating a “nationwide public resistance against the BJP”. 

The farmers also announced that they will observe ‘Save Democracy’ Day across the villages of the country on March 23, the death anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

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