NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, DEC 14
Farmer leaders on Monday started their day-long hunger strike against the Centre’s new farm laws and said protests will be held at all district headquarters later in the day, even as more people are expected to join the ongoing agitation at Delhi border points.
Farmer leader Baldev Singh said, “Representatives of farmer unions have started their hunger strike at Singhu Border.”
On Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he would also observe a day-long fast on Monday and appealed to the central government to shun ego and scrap the legislations.
A large group of farmers on Sunday blocked the key Delhi-Jaipur national highway when it was stopped by police on Haryana-Rajasthan border.
As part of the nationwide protest, dharnas will be staged at all district headquarters across the country on Monday.
Because of the nationwide protest, the Delhi Police has enhanced security at city border points.
BKU Ekta Ugrahan leader says they won’t observe fast as decided by other unions
Leaders of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), who had organised an event to demand the release of jailed activists last week, have decided to distance themselves from the one-day hunger strike call given by 32 farmer unions from Punjab on Monday.
Sukhdev Singh, Punjab general secretary of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, said that Ugrahan leaders will not observe fast.
“We will not participate (in one-day hunger strike),” Sukhdev said.
Photographs of some protesters at the Tikri border seen holding posters demanding the release of activists arrested under various charges had gone viral, prompting Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to say that these “anti-social elements” are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the peasants” movement under the guise of farmers.
“We did nothing wrong. We had just organised an event demanding their (jailed activists) release on Human Rights Day on Thursday,” Sukhdev Singh said.
The government on Friday asked protesting farmers to be vigilant against their platform being misused, saying some “anti-social” as well as “Leftist and Maoist” elements are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the agitation even as the protesters stuck to their demands.
