Nationwide public meets, fast on Jan 30: Protesters

At the press conference, the leaders also questioned why the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (Punjab) was allowed to set up a fresh stage on the police side of the barricades.

Nationwide public meetings and a fast will be organised at all protest points on January 30 to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, leaders of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) said at a press conference on Wednesday evening, a day after violence was reported at a tractor parade taken out by the farmers on Republic Day.

Farmers at Ghazipur on Wednesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

“Our movement will continue. On February 1, we will organise a day-long fast. The public’s sympathy that we lost will be regained,” said Yogendra Yadav of the Jai Kisan Andolan and an organizer of the protests.

On Monday, the SKM, an umbrella body of at least 30 farmer bodies, had announced they would carry out a tractor rally to Parliament on February 1 as well, days after their rally to Delhi on Republic Day. But farmers called off this rally on Wednesday.

Overall, the movement against three farm laws will continue, farmer leaders said. “The farmers should not feel demotivated. We will have more programmes in the near future,” said Rakesh Tikait, another farmer leader.

At the press conference, the leaders also questioned why the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (Punjab) was allowed to set up a fresh stage on the police side of the barricades.

“We were all on one side of the barricades. Then, 13 days after we arrived, the KMSC was given a special enclosure on the police side to set up their stage,” said Yogendra Yadav.

The SKM leaders blamed the KMSC and actor Deep Sidhu of leading the violence. “Since November 26, there was not a single incident of violence. But the KMSC was allotted a space ahead of us. There was no blockade for them and they sabotaged our movement,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal).

Savinder Singh Chautala, senior vice president of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), said that his organisation led the rally on Tuesday as the SKM had backed off a day before the rally. “Our plan was to go to Outer Ring Road (rather than on the planned route), but it was to be done by convincing the police and not by force. We sat before the barricades to request the police, but the SKM farmers arrived at the scene to break through the barricades,” said Chautala.

At the Singhu Border on Wednesday, leaders of both camps delivered speeches against each other.