MSP demand: Delhi-Chandigarh NH remains blocked, farmers to decide next action plan

Farmers blocking the national highway in Pipli in Haryanas Kurukshetra district over the demand for MSP for sunflower seeds will hold a meeting on Tuesday to mull their future course of action after two rounds of talks with the district administration failed to yield any outcome. Farmers have blocked the highway (NH-44) near Pipli, which connects Delhi with Chandigarh, and some other routes since Monday afternoon after holding a mahapanchayat on the issue.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said they held a meeting with the district administration twice on Monday night but the talks did not yield any outcome.

He said a local committee of farmers that was constituted on Monday and the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would hold a meeting on Tuesday to chalk out their further course of action.

Tikait said the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sunflower crop is not only affecting farmers in Haryana but the entire farmer community “as we are demanding a MSP law for all crops, as promised by the union government when we withdrew the Kisan andolan (farmers agitation against the now repealed farm laws)”. Apart from the MSP for sunflower seeds, the protesting farmers are demanding the release of nine farmer union leaders who were arrested during a protest at Shahabad here recently. Kurukshetras Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria told

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