Farmers' protests: Tractor march in Haryana, dharnas outside homes of 3 BJP leaders in Punjab

Chandigarh, Feb 17 (PTI) The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) on Saturday took out a tractor march in Haryana while BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) held dharnas outside residences of three senior BJP leaders in support of farmers protesting at the borders of Punjab over their various demands.

On the fifth day of their 'Delhi Chalo' march -- called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- the farmers stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border as they press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of Punjab's border with Haryana. The protesters have stayed put at the two border points since then.

The Gurnam Singh Charuni-led faction, which is based in Haryana, took out tractor marches at several places including Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and Sirsa in solidarity with the protesting farmers.

In Kurukshetra, Charuni led the tractor march at Pehowa. It started from the Grain market and took out the march in the town.

Over 150 tractors participated in the march and the protesters were raising slogans against the government and in favour of farmers' unity.

Later, talking to media, Charuni said they fully support the demands raised by the agitating farmers of Punjab.

He said a 'mahapanchayat' of farm organisations, and labour and sarpanch unions will be held on Sunday at Kurukshetra to chalk out their further course of action to support the protesting farmers.

Charuni claimed that the tractor marches were conducted at almost all the tehsil headquarters of Haryana.

On Friday, BKU (Charuni) had held protests at the toll plazas in the state.

In Punjab, the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) held dharnas outside the residences of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh in Patiala, BJP's Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar in Abohar and senior party leader Kewal Singh Dhillon in Barnala.

The farmer body also held protests at 21 toll plazas in 13 districts in the state, extending support to the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' call. They forced the authorities not to charge any toll fee from commuters.

The BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) will continue their protests on Sunday also.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said a meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will be held on Saturday evening to decide on the next course of action.

The Punjab's farmer outfit on Friday had announced to back the 'Delhi Chalo' march.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act-2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21. PTI