JAN MORCHA leader Raj Babbar led a protest march to oppose the acquisition of farmers’ land, deteriorating law and order situation and poor civic amenities on Friday afternoon. He also addressed a public rally in front of the commissioner office. Babbar was accompanied by leaders from the Samanata Dal, CPI and Rashtriya Kranti Party. Local administration had made extensive arrangements following the call by the Jan Morcha to gherao the commissioner office.
Thousands of farmers gathered at Pratabpura crossing and marched towards the commissioner office, led by Raj Babbar, Sakhshi Maharaj from Rashtriya Kranti Party, Dr Girish from CPI and Moti Lal Shastri from Samanata Dal. ADM city RK Singh accepted a memorandum by the leaders in absence of the commissioner.
Babbar in his address, warned the government not to harm farmers’ interest and said the farmers should be given the choice to sell their land along with surety of job to at least one family member each.
He condemned the State government for deteriorating law and order situation and asked the official machinery not to abide by unlawful ‘firmaans’ of the State government. He gave a call for gherao of the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow on August 9 and accused the State government of playing in the hands of business houses. Leader of Rashtriya Kranti Party, Sakshi Maharaj, predicted that Mulayam Singh Yadav would not return to power as farmers were being targeted and law and order situation was fast deteriorating.