Farmers demand release of 9 leaders, protest Haryana cops’ action
The nine arrested farmer leaders were produced before a court, which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.
Farmers staged protests at various places in Haryana on Wednesday demanding release of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni and eight others, who were arrested after protesting farmers blocked the National Highway-44 near Shahbad in Kurukshetra district a day before.
Read here: Agitation over MSP for sunflower seeds: Gurnam Charuni, 8 BKU leaders sent to judicial custody
On Tuesday, the Haryana police resorted to baton-charge and sprayed water cannon to clear the blockage by farmers, who are demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP). Several protesters were detained and later released, however, Charuni and eight other BKU (Charuni) leaders were taken into police custody.
On Wednesday afternoon, the nine arrested farmer leaders were produced before a court, which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody, police said. Besides charges pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly and using of criminal force to deter public servants from discharging duty, they have also been booked for attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), said Kurukshetra SP Surinder Singh Bhoria.
“The farmers had also tried to hit police personnel with a tractor… there is also a video recording of the incident,” the SP added.
Charuni, however, accused the police of registering false cases against the farmers, who, he claimed, were protesting peacefully. “We don’t know on which ground they imposed Section 307, but we will continue our fight for the guaranteed MSP. We will win this battle,” Charuni told reporters while being taken to the court.
Protesting against the police crackdown and demanding release of arrested leaders, the farmers sat on dharma on Shahbad-Ladwa road and blocked movement of traffic. The farmers also blocked roads and highways in Ambala and Yamunanagar.
Protests were also staged in other districts, including at toll plazas in Rohtak, Hisar, Sirsa, Karnal where the farmers demanded release of those arrested in Shahabad case.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait reached Shahabad on Wednesday and extended support to protesting farmers.
Read here: Ludhiana: Farmers make Ladhowal plaza ‘toll-free’ for four hours
“This is the beginning of the new movement for the guaranteed MSP in the country. The injury of the batons given to farmers of Haryana will be taken to every farmer of the country,” Tikait said while addressing farmers.
There is a need of a strong act to ensure that all the crops are procured on the MSP even the private traders cannot buy the produce below the MSP and we are united over this issue, he said. “Now the country wants a movement for the MSP.”
Praising Charuni as a fighter, Tikait said he “will not accept anything less than the MSP.”
The farmers have maintained that they are demanding procurement of sunflower seed at the fixed MSP of ₹6,400 per quintal. On May 30, the BJP-led Haryana government issued a notice declaring that sunflower seed has been included in the list of crops covered under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (BBY), under which ₹1,000 per quintal is provided to farmers for selling their produce to private buyers. Crops under the BBY are not procured by government agencies on MSP.
Shahabad legislator Ram Karan Kala, who is a leader of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), an ally of the BJP, said he would resign from his post as the chairman of the Haryana Sugar Federation if the state government failed to accept farmers’ demand to procure sunflower seeds at the MSP within 24 hours.
“I have taken up the issue with deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who has given his assurance to resolve this issue. I have also decided to resign from the post of Sugarfed chairman if the detained farmers are not released, procurement of sunflower not started on the MSP and compensation to injured farmers not paid,” he told reporters in Chandigarh.
Read here: Punjab farmers reject MSP hike for kharif crops as ‘peanuts’
Condemning the police lathi-charge on the agitating farmers, the JJP leader added: “Along with the farmers, I also feel the pain of the police baton and this incident is very painful.”
