CHANDIGARH: Farmers at several places in Punjab and Haryana hoisted black flags atop their houses and vehicles besides burning effigies of PM Narendra Modi to mark the completion of six months of their protest against three new farm laws.
The scene was no different at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders where farmers also held protest marches.
Several parties, including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP, extended their support to the farmers. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal raised a black flag at his house in Badal village in Muktsar and urged the Centre to accept the demands of the protesting farmers.
He tweeted: “As #KisanAndolan completes 6 months today, I again urge the Centre to deal compassionately with farmers & repeal black laws.’’ Former MLA and INLD general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala followed suit at his Teja Khera farmhouse in Sirsa district of neighbouring Haryana.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda again urged the government to restart the dialogue process with protesting farmers. “I urge the government to hold talks with protesting farmers with a positive mindset.’’Protests were held in Punjab’s Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga, Patiala, Jalandhar, Mohali and other places. All those in solidarity with the farmers donned black turbans and dupattas. At many places women joined the protests and shouted slogans: “We will fight, we will win.’’
In neighbouring Haryana protests were reported from a few places in Dandoor village in Hisar where farmers raised anti-government slogans and burnt the effigy of the BJP government. In Bhiwani effigy of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was burnt. While in Jhajjar farmrs hoisted black flags and took out a motorbike rally at the Tikri border.
The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the protesting unions, had announced that farmers will observe May 26 as a ‘black day’ to mark the completion of six months of their protest. At the protest sites of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border, the agitating farmers’ numbers swelled significantly. Local people also joined the protestors and extended their solidarity. At Ghazipur border, farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well as Himachal Pradesh too joined the protest. At Shahjahanpur, farmers from Haryana and Rajasthan resolved to strengthen the agitation.