Protesting Farmers Won't Leave Delhi At Any Cost, Says Rakesh Tikait
The ongoing farmers' protests along the border of Delhi will not be moved out of the national capital, farmers leader Rakesh Tikait.?
According to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader, Centre wants to relocate the ongoing farmers' agitation from the Delhi border to Haryana.
"The Central government wants to shift the movement to Haryana. We will not allow this. We won't let the government succeed in its ploy. We will not leave Delhi at any cost," he said on Thursday.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at the three borders of Delhi since November last year.
They have continued with their protests against the three contentious farm laws through the harsh winter, the second wave of COVID-19 and now well into the hot north Indian summers.
Still no resolution at sight
Despite several rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer leaders last year, the deadlock remains.
With several police cases registered against farmers during the course of their ongoing agitation, Tikait said, ¡°During any agitation, such as this, one should be prepared to go to jail and not be afraid of that.¡±
He said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the ongoing farmers' agitation, will continue to protest peacefully against the farm laws.
Farmer unions were ready to hold talks with the Centre whenever it decides to resume talks, Tikait said, reiterating that the discussion would have to be about repealing the new farm laws.
¡°When the government wants to talk, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will talk,¡± he said.
The SKM, an umbrella body of over 40 protesting farmer unions, had last month written to the prime minister, urging resumption of talks over the three farm laws.
Sampoorna Kranti Diwas??
On Thursday, the SKM said they will observe 'Sampoorna Kranti Diwas' on June 5 and burn copies of these legislations outside the offices and homes of leaders of the BJP and its allies.
"On June 5 last year, the three anti-farmer and anti-people agricultural laws were brought by the central government as ordinances. There has been a massive protest against these agricultural laws and movement is going on for more than six months at Delhi's borders," the morcha said in a statement.
The SKM will observe 'Sampoorna Kranti Diwas' on June 5 and burn copies of agricultural laws outside the offices and homes of leaders of the BJP and allied parties, the statement read.
In the absence of these leaders, copies of laws will be burnt in front of administrative offices. This protest will be completely peaceful, it said.
