Bhim Army chief Chandrashekar Azad, along with social activist Medha Patkar and Bihar Member of Parliament, Pappu Yadav on Tuesday extended his support to farmers and joined their protest at Delhi-Ghazipur border (UP Gate) on Tuesday.
The trio met Rakesh Tikait, president of the Indian Farmers Union and said that they should stand shoulder to shoulder in this fight of farmers.
“The farmers have been fighting for their rights in this cold. These laws should be withdrawn immediately. We extend our full support to our farmers. We are with them in this fight,” said Bhim Army chief.
The Delhi Police has barricaded the way for the farmers to enter and proceed to Delhi by planting barricading.
The farmers have built a temporary tent and dining kitchen to stay at the UP gate. Farmers from western Uttar Pradesh districts of Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Hapur, Amroha and Uttarakhand are also coming on daily basis to join the protest.
Due to the peasant movement, prices of vegetables and fruits have also started going up. Rakesh Tikait, president of the Indian Farmers Union, told that the talks of farmer leaders in Delhi are going on with the central government.
“If no solution is found from this conversation, the farmers will stop supplying fruits and vegetables besides milk and milk in vegetable markets of Delhi,” said Tikait.
Even as farmers of Punjab and Haryana continued to rally at Singhu and Tikari border entry points, scores of Uttar Pradesh farmers gathered at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Ghazipur border on Sunday morning in their bid to enter the national Capital. Earlier in the day, farmer unions decided to attend a meeting with the Centre as protesters continued their agitation at Delhi border points against the Government’s new farm laws.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday invited leaders of farmer unions for talks on Tuesday, instead of December 3, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and cold. But the meeting turned out to be of any conclusion and farmers said that they will continue their protest.
Thousands of farmers stayed put at various Delhi border points for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system and corporatise farming.