Angry, farmers burn copies of three agriculture laws

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 5

Farmers burnt copies of the three controversial agriculture laws at different places in the district on Saturday and demanded that the laws be repealed.

The protests were held outside the residence of BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik, outside the BJP’s district headquarters, Roadways workshop and at Golden Gate on GT Road.

Farmers said the protest against the three laws would continue till their demands were accepted. Farmers in large numbers participated in the call earlier given by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha to burn the copies of the laws.

Protesting outside the residence of Shwait Malik, Rattan Singh Randhawa, Harjit Singh Jheeta, Davinder Singh Chattiwind, Bachittar Singh Kotla and other leaders said the BJP government had used every trick to defame and discredit farmers’ unions, but the farming community knows that the three laws would be detrimental for their livelihood.

Rattan Singh Randhawa said high prices of diesel which is used for preparation of fields was troubling farmers. “The paddy transplantation season has begun and consumption of diesel in tractors is high. In such times, the government is allowing increase in prices every other day,” he said, adding that the Central Government was anti-farmer and anti-poor.

Lakhwinder Singh Wariamnagal of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said: “It was on June 5 last year that the three contentious farm laws were brought in by the Central Government. Today's protest marks one year of these anti-farmer laws.” He said the participation of farmers in today’s protest was enough to silence the BJP leaders who claim that the ongoing agitation does not enjoy support of wider sections of farming community. He said the farmers had started the protest against the three laws from June 8 last year.

Parminder Singh of Bharti Kisan Union Ekta said: “The BJP has made it an ego issue. Instead, it should listen to farmers and accept their demands.” The union also burnt the copies of the laws outside the residence of BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna.