Samyukt Kisan Morcha will hold protests in poll-bound states if farm bills not repealed, warns Rakesh Tikait

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday warned the central government to repeal the three farm laws, or else Samyukt Kisan Morcha will hold protests and meetings in poll-bound states and give 'vote ki chot' to the government.
"Government of India should repeal the three farm laws at the earliest. If they would not, Samyukt Kisan Morcha will go to every part of the country and hold meetings and protests against the central government. Campaigns will be done in poll-bound states too. In fact, meetings are going on in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. We will give the government 'vote ki chot'," Tikait said during a public meeting in Anaj Mandi in Panipat.

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled to take place next year.

The farmers' leader said that attempts were being made to drift away farmers from agriculture and steal their lands.

"In this mandi, a lot of workers are from Bihar. But these workers owned a lot of lands once. 16 years back, mandis were ended in Bihar and the farmers there faced the damage. Sheds were taken on rent and godowns of big companies arrived there eventually. Paddy is brought at Rs 800-900 per quintal, Masoor Dal is brought at 1600-2000 per quintal," he said.

"Now, Sunflower is not sold there. You can not get loose mustard oil on shops. Selling it leads to imprisonment. Loose milk can not be sold either. It is sold to companies first who sell it packaged in their boxes. 10-year-old tractors, vehicles, pumping sets can not be operated. This is all an attempt to weaken the farmers, to steal their lands," Tikait added.

Tikait further urged the young farmers to use technology in order to support the farmer's movement and spread awareness about it.

"Keep the tractors ready, they could be needed too," he added.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.