To express solidarity with the protesting farmers in Punjab over MSP demand, the Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) will stage protests at district headquarters across Haryana on Friday. Additionally, 11 farmers will observe a hunger strike at district headquarters from 10 am to 4 pm on the same day.

Talking to reporters, BKU Chaduni spokesperson Rakesh Bains said the draft agricultural marketing policy would be a key focus of Friday’s protests. He remarked: “We strongly believe the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing is an attempt to weaken government-run mandis by promoting private mandis. This policy resembles the contentious farm laws we opposed in 2020-21, which were later repealed.”

Bains further warned: “Government mandis will not survive if private mandis are allowed. Initially, private players may offer better facilities to attract farmers, but this would ultimately dismantle public sector mandis, creating a monopoly in foodgrain procurement. Farmers would then be forced to sell their produce to a single corporate entity, resulting in losses for both the government and farmers.”
 
Recently, Chaduni visited Dallewal, who has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border of Punjab and Haryana since November 26, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of crops.

It should be mentioned here that on December 16, Haryana farmers staged tractor marches in Ambala, Kaithal, Hisar, Panipat, and other districts to push for the MSP demand.