Farmers unions to meet on Sep 11 to decide future course of action

Karnal (Haryana), Sep 9 (IANS) With the ongoing farmers agitation at the mini-Secretariat in Haryana's Karnal entering its third day on Thursday, the farmers unions have decided to meet again on Saturday to finalise the future course of action on their demands.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday announced that they will continue the peaceful protest here and will not obstruct any official day to day activities. He said that farmers across the state will continue the agitation on the lines of ongoing protests at the Delhi borders.

However, farmers are not in a mood to stretch the protest here and have decided to meet on Saturday where all unions' leadership will participate and decide their actions ahead.

Jagdeep Singh Aulakh, Karnal district President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union-Chadhuni and member of the core committee, said: "Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the other farmers' organisations of Haryana will meet at the protest site of Karnal where we will announce the actions ahead".

"The farmers' organisations have already given three days to the Haryana government, but not even a single demand has been accepted yet. We will make some big announcement on September 11 that will make (Manohar Lal) Khattar government bow down at any cost."

The farmers unions have categorically said that they will now talk with the government only when a case is registered against then SDM Ayush Sinha who is being seen in the viral video giving controversial statements while ordering a baton charge at Bastara toll plaza in Karnal on August 28.

According to the United Kisan Morcha, Sinha had directly ordered the police to "break the heads of the farmers". The farmers have alleged that the government has promoted him instead of sacking.

The agitating farmers' demands include immediate sacking of Sinha and a case against him. Apart from this, they are also seeking Rs 25 lakh compensation and a government job for kin of the farmer who died in the incident and Rs 2 lakh compensation each for injured farmers.