Amritsar, December 17
The protest by farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here entered Day 22 on Saturday. The KMSC has also initiated protests at three toll plazas in the district for the last three days and these have been made free for the commuters.
While addressing the protesters at Kathunagal toll plaza, KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said: “Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has stated that 86 cases registered against farmers for blocking rail routes during the protests against the three farm laws have been dismissed. But this is not enough. What about the cases registered against the farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi?”
Pandher demanded that all cases registered against farmers anywhere in the country for protesting against the three agricultural laws should be dismissed and withdrawn. “The protest has started yielding results but we will continue till all our demands are accepted by the Centre and state government.”
The KMSC general secretary also criticised the Punjab Agriculture Minister for issuing a statement that the state government had fulfilled all demands of the farmers and the issues on which the protests are being held were concerned with the Centre.
Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister, Pandher said: “It was the CM’s wish that common people should not be harassed by the protesters and thus we have made 18 toll plazas in nine districts free for the commuters. People are elated over not having to pay an exorbitant toll fee.” He said issues related to village common lands and fulfillment of pre-election promises was in the power of the state government.
The KMSC leaders stated that the only way to save farmers was to provide a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). The farmers, not only from Punjab but from the entire country would be benefitted, if the Centre provides them with a legal guarantee for MSP.
