BKU (Lok Shakti), BKU (Ekta) meet Agri Minister Tomar, hand over memorandum

Members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday evening and handed over a memorandum.

The leaders of the two famer unions also said that they are also withdrawing from the protest against the new agricultural farm laws.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) leader SS Bhat, said "We are hurt by the Red fort incident. Government has assured us that they will continue with commitments made during talks with farmers."

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) handed over a memorandum to Agriculture Minister Tomar seeking a law on MSP (minimum support price) and requested the government to hold talks with protesting farmers to find a resolution. They also demanded that farmers in Uttar Pradesh should be provided with electricity at a lower rate.

The Kisan Mahapanchayat, the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) had already declared about the calling off their protest at the borders of Delhi.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said the farmers will not call off their sit-in protest against the agricultural reform laws until they hold discussions with the government. He also alleged that the Central government had hatched a conspiracy against the farmers.

On January 26, protestors broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their tractor rally orgsed to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws. They also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.

Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the protestors. A total of 22 FIRs have been filed by the Delhi Police with one of them mentioning the incident at ITO where a farmer died after his tractor overturned.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )