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Farm protest: Farmers take out tractor march in West UP
Rakesh said that the BJP government prioritises entrepreneurs over farmers. He emphasised that if there were a government representing farmers’ interests, a law guaranteeing MSP would have been enacted by now.
MEERUT: In a show of solidarity with the farmers of Punjab and Haryana protesting at various Delhi borders for the past nine days, farmers in Uttar Pradesh took out tractor marches in many districts of western UP on Wednesday.
These marches were organised in response to the call from BKU (Tikait), following a decision at a Mahapanchayat held at BKU’s headquarters in Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar district on February 17. While Rakesh Tikait, BKU leader, led the tractor march in Meerut, BKU chief Naresh Tikait led it in Muzaffarnagar.
They reached the collectorates of their respective districts and staged dharnas before handing over memorandams to officials regarding the guarantee of MSP, withdrawal of cases imposed on farmers during the 2021 protests, and other demands.
Addressing the gathering at Meerut collectorate, Rakesh said that the BJP government prioritises entrepreneurs over farmers. He emphasised that if there were a government representing farmers’ interests, a law guaranteeing MSP would have been enacted by now.
“Memorandums were handed to the administration at all district headquarters following the march and further strategies will be decided in a meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha on Thursday,” he said.
Meanwhile, Naresh Tikait joined the protesting farmers inside the Muzaffarnagar collectorate. Farmers also entered the SSP office. Similar tractor marches were organised in Saharanpur, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Sambhal, Bijnor, Shamli, Bagpat, and other districts of western UP. The marches concluded with dharnas at the collectorates of these districts, where farmer leaders expressed their anguish, handing over their memorandums to district authorities.
Khap Choudharys also gathered at the residence of Thambedar Mitrapal Singh in Pinna village and extended their support to the farmers’ movement. BKU’s national organisation secretary, Surendra Singh, claimed that a large number of farmers participated in the protest at the collectorate in Amroha, where leaders briefed them about the government’s anti-farmer activities.
