After Karnal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ayush Sinha was seen ordering police to "break the skull" of protesting farmers in a video, farmers' protests are intensifying against leaders of BJP and allied parties, a press note issued by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday, 3 September noted.
As farmers' protests enters its 10 month, 281st day to be precise, the umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions announced that Muzaffarnagar's GIC Ground is getting ready to witness the largest gathering of farmers ever – a Kisan Mahapanchayat – on 5 September.
The event will reportedly inaugurate Mission Uttar Pradesh of Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
The note signed by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Yogendra Yadav among others said, "It is getting more and more clear that SDM Ayush Sinha was not acting on his own, and his political masters were the ones who ordered the breaking of farmers' heads."
The SKM claimed that it will launch a siege of the Mini Secretariat of Karnal if no action is taken by the 6th of September.
Protest Against BJP Intensifies
"In Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the state Chief Ministers, both BJP leaders, have received an ultimatum from farmers with regard to some upcoming programs," the press note stated further.
It added that the until now, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had supported the BJP government's agriculture laws, however, now reports of protests against SAD leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal have also emerged.
The SKM is leading the farmers' protest against the new, contentious agricultural laws. These protests have been in force since November last year when farmers from Punjab and Haryana arrived at Delhi's border to register their dissent and demand for the revocation of the farm laws.
'Desist from Election Campaigning': SKM
The SKM also appealed to all political parties to desist from electioneering, as the farmers' protests intensify. "Such electioneering is anti-farmer in itself," the press note stated.
SKM added further:
"We can only conclude that this is an anti-farmer conspiracy, to distract and divert attention from the crucial struggle farmers have been waging for months now. We ask them to desist from their election campaigning, if they are truly supportive of the farmers' struggle."
Locals Support Farmers' Struggle
Meanwhile, the SKM pointed out that locals have always been in support of the farmers' struggle, stressing that the langars in the morchas run with the contributions of the local villagers, whether it is wheat or milk or vegetables.
However, "The BJP-RSS is desperately trying to instigate some locals against the farmers' movement at every opportunity that they get. Some media houses also cover some local meetings of these BJP-RSS groups and hype it up. However, the fact that the movement has run peacefully and harmoniously with the local villagers for nearly ten months in itself is a strong testimony to the support it enjoys from them," the press note asserted.
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