Farmers' Protest Highlights |Tikait to address rallies in MP on March 8, says BKU

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait will address rallies on March 8 in Madhya Pradesh to drum up support against the Centre's new farm laws, a functionary of his outfit said.

Delhi Police have arrested Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Delhi, who climbed up one of the tombs located on both sides of ramparts of Red Fort during Jan 26 violence. He is seen in offensive gesture holding steel tensile installed at Red Fort. (ANI)

Lawyer Nikita Jacob and engineer Shantanu Muluk on Monday joined the probe in connection with the toolkit case and are being questioned at the Delhi Police's Cyber cell office in Dwarka, a senior police officer said. The Delhi Police, probing the "toolkit Google doc" backing the farmers' agitation shared by climate activist Greta Thunberg, had arrested Bengaluru-based activist Disha Ravi while Jacob and Muluk were granted pre-arrest bail by a court.

"Both Jacob and Muluk were served notice to join the probe and are currently being quizzed in connection with their alleged role in the toolkit case," the officer said. (PTI)

After taking out a tractor rally in his constituency in solidarity with the agitating farmers, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said agriculture is the only business that belongs to "Bharat Mata" and called upon the people to "force" the government to take back three farm laws brought the BJP-led central government.

"The entire world can see the difficulties faced by Indian farmers. But the government in Delhi is unable to understand the pain of the farmers," Gandhi said addressing a meeting organised after the six kilometre tractor rally between Thrikkaipatta to Muttil in this hill district."We have pop stars who are commenting on the situation of Indian farmers but the Indian government is not interested. They are not going to take back three laws unless they are forced," the Wayanad MP said. Read more here..

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has issued a clarification on his warning that farmers would burn their crops if there was a crackdown on their protest against the three new farm reform laws. This happened after a group of farmers in Haryana's Jind started pulling crops off their fields.

At a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Hisar last week, Tikait said that the Centre should not be under any misconception that farmers would go back for crop harvesting. “If they insisted (cracking down the protest), then we will burn our crops. They should not think that the protest will end in two months. We will harvest as well as protest,” he said. Continue reading...

Entire world can see the difficulty faced by Indian farmers but the government is unable to understand the pain of the farmers. We have pop stars who are commenting on the situation pf the farmers, but the Indian government is not interested.

Activists Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk joined the investigation into the 'Toolkit' case on Monday at Delhi Police's cyber cell office.The development came after the Delhi Police contacted Jacob and Muluk over phone and issued notices, respectively.Both had assured they would join the investigation on Monday.

The cyber cell in Dwarka here would question them over the toolkit case as their roles need to be established with the evidence.The three accused in the case: Shantanu, Nikita and Disha Ravi might be questioned simultaneously and also confronted with each other with the evidence the cyber cell has against them. (Ians)

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday appealed to the Centre not to make revoking its three farm laws a prestige issue and consider so to find a long-term solution to the problem. Observing that an early resolution to the problem was critical to the safety of Punjab, witnessing a surge in smuggling of weapons into the state from across the border during the past 5-6 months, he asserted that he and his government continue to stand with farmers on the issue.

He said even in his written speech submitted to the Niti Aayog for circulation during its Saturday's meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he had categorically underscored the need for an urgent resolution of the current agitation to the satisfaction of protesting farmers by addressing all their grievances.It is farmers who have to decide what is in their interest and to what extent they are willing to compromise, if at all, on their demand for the repeal of the farm laws, said the chief minister in a statement. (PTI)

Wheat growers inMadhyaPradeshwill be the worst hit by the Centre's new farm laws as itwould force them to sell their produce to private players at throwaway prices instead ofMSP, state Congress chiefKamalNathsaid on Sunday.He said MP was the highest wheat producer in thecountry but it had started to fall behind Punjab.'

"Wheat growers in MP will be the biggest losers due tothe new laws, which encourage sale of wheat to private partiesat throwaway prices. Farmers will not be able to reap benefitsof the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism,"Nathtold partyworkers in a meeting.

Alleging that notices are being served on people backing the agitation against the farm laws,BKUleaderBalbirSinghRajewalon Sunday asked farmers togheraoDelhi Police personnel if they come to their villages to make an arrest.TheBKU(Rajewal) leader also asked theAmarinderSingh-led Punjab government that the state police should not cooperate with the Delhi cops.

If the Delhi Police personnel come to arrest you, gather the entire village and oppose them,"Rajewaltold farmers at a "Kisan-MazdoorEktaMahaRally in Punjab'sBarnalaon Sunday.The rally wasorganisedby theBhartiKisanUnion (EktaUgrahan) and the PunjabKhetMazdoorUnion. Two days ago,HaryanaBKUchiefGurnamSinghChadunihad made a similar appeal. Rajewalasked farmers not to appear before the Delhi Police if they get notices for joining investigation and told them to 'gherao' the Delhi Police personnel if they come to make an arrest.

During a BJP meeting, chaired by party president JP Nadda, the party passed a resolution lauding the prime minister and the Centre for reforms in the agriculture sector, bringing the three new farm laws and for his able leadership in effective handling of the COVID-19 situation. The political resolution moved by BJP vice president Raman Singh was passed in the meeting and it thanked the prime minister for the reforms in the agriculture sector and his able leadership in effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The government brought in three farm laws in the interest of farmers to ensure they get the right price for their produce, their income doubles and that they have the freedom to sell their farm produce where they want to," reads the resolution. The meeting, which was also being attended by BJP state unit presidents, assumes significance as it came amid fierce protests by a section of farmers in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh against the three new farm laws. Read more here...

More than two dozen women reached Ghazipur border from Haryana's Rohtak on Sunday to express their solidarity with the farmers protesting against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre from almost three months now.They met Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and extended their support. They said that will not go back till the farm laws are withdrawn.

Assuring Tikait about their support, the women said that "the women of Haryana will reach anywhere on his call". The women who reached the protest site from Rithala village in Rohtak said that they will come there everyday and bring milk, ghee and buttermilk for their brothers protesting here.

One of the women said: "(The Manohar Lal) Khattar government in Haryana will not last long. They created too many hurdles for the farmers and our future generation will never forget this. Farmers have protested earlier also but no government has behaved the way this government has." (Ians)

TheHaryana government has suspendedtwo teachers for allegedly participating in the farmers' agitation, as per an NDTVreport.