Farmers blame BJP for poor state of farm sector

Thousands of farmers marching into Delhi on Saturday were stopped by heavy police deployment and barricading at the Ghazipur border demanding waiver of loans, settlement of sugarcane crop dues and pensions.

The farmers march had commenced on September 11 from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and was supposed to converge on Saturday at the Kisan Ghat in Delhi. But at the frontier, the demonstrators were stopped. 

Barricading has been put throughout with a heavy deployment of security personnel. We were told to wait here because some officers wish to speak with us. We have been waiting and we don't have any information on who will talk to us and when,' said Rajendra Yadav, in-charge of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangathan.

The Sanghathan has set forth a list of 15 demands, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the state for the poor state of the farm sector as well as the farmers.

The demand includes loans on farmers be waived, all sugarcane crop dues be paid within 14 days and that all suggestions be implemented in the report of the Swaminathan Committee.

The Kisan Sangathan also demand free education and health for all, a High Court bench in Western Uttar Pradesh, an audit of power companies by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, an end to MPs and MLAs ' pensions, and a ban on river pollution and penalty for those who do so.