Farmers lay siege to 21 toll plazas, stage sit-ins outside 3 BJP leaders’ residences

Scores of farmers associated with the faction staged sit-ins in front of the residences of state BJP president Sunil Jakhar in Abohar in Fazilka district, former CM Captain Amarinder in Patiala, and ex-MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon in Barnala district. The protests will continue till Sunday night.

In solidarity with farmers protesting on the inter-state border of Punjab and Haryana, activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) laid siege to 21 highway toll plazas across 13 districts in the state and gheraoed the residences of prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Saturday.

Farmers shout slogans as they staged a demonstration in support of farmers, protesting at Shambhu near the Punjab-Haryana state border over minimum price for their crops, on the outskirts of Amritsar on Saturday. (AFP)

Scores of farmers associated with the faction staged sit-ins in front of the residences of state BJP president Sunil Jakhar in Abohar in Fazilka district, former CM Captain Amarinder in Patiala, and ex-MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon in Barnala district. The protests will continue till Sunday night.

Considered the largest farmers’ union in the state and having a significant presence in the Malwa districts, the Ugrahan faction had initially stayed away from the agitation called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) but later decided to join in.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, the faction’s head, also sat on dharna outside Capt Amarinder’s residence.

Addressing the gathering, Joginder Ugrahan said they had ideological differences (political) with other farmer unions that were protesting at the Shambhu and Khanouri borders. “However, we have come to support them because their demands, including a legal guarantee to MSP and loan waiver, are common to all farmer groups.”

“We may have ideological differences with them. But we believe in their demads are genuine. Besides, we also oppose the use of tear gas and bullets against the protesting farmers,” said Ugrahan.

Union general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said, “After much consultation, we decided to indefinitely postpone our earlier programme of holding a dharna in Chandigarh against the Centre and Punjab government. It was scheduled to start from February 24 but in view of the repression of Punjab farmers on the Haryana border, we are now supporting them.”