Farmers Protest Live Updates: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday rendered support to farmers who have embarked on the 'Delhi Chalo' protest and appealed to the central government to fulfil the demands of the cultivators. In post on X, the SAD chief also appealed to Aam Adami Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to give MSP on 17 crops including wheat and paddy as promised by them to farmers earlier. He further said that Kejriwal and Mann 'must stop double crossing farmers as they had done during the last agitation'. "We urge the Centre and Punjab government to find a peaceful resolution of farmers' just demands through negotiations and not through repression," he added."Shiromani Akali Dal is the sole and long standing champion of farmers' rights and has always stood by them. The party fully supports their right to peaceful democratic protest. The SAD government have implemented unprecedented facilities for the farm sector including free power and many other measures," said Badal.Earlier in the day, the farmers' protest turned violent when police fired tear gas shells at farmers at the Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab while they marched towards Delhi.Among other things, the farmers are seeking an MSP guarantee for 23 crops, waiver of their debts and withdrawal of cases registered against them during the 2020-21 farmers' agitation. The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at four times the collector rate. Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings. An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers.
In a letter to Sarvan Singh Pandher, coordinator of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), Badish Jindal, president of All Industries Trade Forum (AITF), stated, "During the Kisan agitation against farm laws from November 26, 2020, to December 9, 2021, Punjab's industry fully supported the farmers."
Protesting farmers today began their march towards Delhi after a meeting with two Union ministers over their demands, including a legal guarantee to MSP for crops, which remained inconclusive last night.
Farmers are expected to hold demonstrations on Delhi borders and other parts of the country on Friday to mark one year of the farmers' protest against the Centre's farm laws.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmers' unions, has decided to stage demonstrations outside Raj Bhawans across the country on 26 June to mark seven months since the protests started on Delhi borders