Updated: November 29, 2020 12:21:42 pm
Farmers at the site of the protest in Singhu Border, New Delhi, on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Reject union Offer from Interior Minister Amit Shah Moving the ongoing protests to a designated site in Burari on the outskirts of the national capital, most farmers’ unions have decided stay outside the borders of Delhi. The farmers, who have launched a campaign against Agricultural laws recently enacted by the Center and seek guarantees about the MSP and the mandi system, they want to hold the protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
While the Home Secretary appealed to all unions through the media on Friday evening, he personally called three farmer leaders: Joginder Singh Ugrahan, President of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan), Jagjit Singh Dallewal, President of BKU (Sidhupur) and Balbir Singh. Rajewal, President of BKU (Rajewal).
Ugrahan told the Indian Express: “The Union Minister of the Interior called me around 12:20 pm on Friday. He urged us not to seal the borders of Delhi and instead go to Nirankari Bhawan, Burari. We understand that blocking the borders is causing inconvenience to the masses, but we are not ready to move to Burari, but the Union Minister of the Interior should allow us to protest in Jantar Mantar, where we wanted to protest before. But the Delhi police had rejected the request from the All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC). Jantar Mantar is a place where everyone presents their protest and why can’t farmers do the same? “
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He said that Surjit Kumar Jayani, chairman of the 8-member BJP panel formed to talk to Punjab farmers, had proposed that a 5-member team from “our union can speak with Amit Shah in person.” “But I rejected it immediately because we are not the only union that is protesting for this cause,” he added.
Ugrahan said that different farmers’ unions are protesting in different places. “Unless everyone is called for a meeting, we will not seek any meeting. Also, I categorically told Jayani that the center should inform us about their proposal. Then only all unions will discuss and decide accordingly, ”he said.
Buta Singh Burjgill, President of BKU (Dakaunda) and part of a group of 30 farmers ‘organizations, said: “The 30 farmers’ unions are planning to meet at the Singhu border where I am sitting from now on to decide on an additional program. . But it does not seem possible to meet at 10 in the morning as some are trapped in Sonipat, someone is in Tikri. So far, we have decided not to go to Burari and will continue to sit outside of Delhi.
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Farmers shout slogans after burning an effigy during a protest against the recently passed agricultural bills on the Singhu border near Delhi on Saturday. (Reuters)
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, AIKSCC working committee member, said: “We are sitting on the borders of Delhi until a new decision by our 30 farmers unions.
Satnam Singh Pannu, President of KMSC said: “Our jatha of 100 tractor cars has reached the Singhu border and we will stay here only. We are not going to Burari at any cost.
Jyani, who was a cabinet minister in the SAD-BJP government in Punjab, was called to Delhi on Friday morning. He held a series of meetings with the Minister of the Interior of the Union. He had told the Indian Express that the gathering is huge and therefore Burari was suggested where they could dispose of toilets, toilets, water, etc. too. He had said: “I am hopeful that some solution may soon emerge. I fully support farmers because in a democracy, they can have their point of view and they have the right to express it also in a peaceful way ”.
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