Bathinda: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday condemned the crackdown by the Punjab Police during protests on Feb 18, accusing it of lathi-charge, tear gas shelling and mass detentions of farmers across several villages.The agitation was launched to demand the release of Baldev Singh Chauke and Sagandeep Singh Jeond of BKU Ekta-Ugrahan, who had been lodged in jail for the past 10 months on murder charges in connection with earlier protests. Despite police action ahead of the planned dharna at the DC office in Bathinda, the SKM claimed farmers stood firm, forcing the administration to secure bail for both leaders by Wednesday evening.
The SKM urged all the political parties to condemn the misuse of laws against the democratic right to protest guaranteed by the Constitution of India. The union demanded the Bhagwant Mann govt of Punjab end the police terror, address the genuine demands of the farmers, and resolve them democratically.The union alleged that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was being misused to curb the right to protest and jail activists. It said farmers had been compelled to intensify their agitation in response to what it described as sustained attacks on working people by the BJP-led Union govt. The union reiterated its key demands, including remunerative MSP at C2+50% with guaranteed procurement for all crops, a comprehensive farm loan waiver, and implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 to safeguard land rights.It also voiced opposition to the proposed US trade deal and other free trade agreements, the Seed Bill, the Electricity Bill, the VB GRAMG Act and the four Labour Codes.Suppressing the farmers’ genuine struggle by unleashing police repression has became a new normal in the BJP-ruled states, and the Punjab govt led by the Aam Aadmi Party resorting to such authoritarian, anti-democratic measures is highly condemnable, the farmers added.MSID:: 128558006 413 |
