Taking a strong objection to use of force against Rashtriya lok Dal activists who were protesting against Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s visit to a sugar mill in Meerut, party’s national general secretary Anil Dubey said that the action was anti-democratic and was against cane farmers.
"The way RlD workers were beaten up black and blue by the police shows Akhilesh Yadav is trying to run the government through police power. The RlD activists were demanding better price for cane farmers as the present price announced by this Samajwadi Party Government was not enough. Instead of listening to them government unleashed police force on us," Dubey said in a statement issued here on Sunday.
The RlD activists were staging protest against Chief Minister during his Meerut visit were he had gone for inauguration of state-run co-operative sugar mill. The mill that was closed for last four years was made operational after renovation. He said over a 1000 party activists were arrested in police lathicharge. Some of the seriously injured workers were admitted to hospital where they are recuperating.
Dubey said that the cane price announced by the state government was just a dhoka with the farmers. Not a single penny was increased while according to the Shahajahanpur Sugarcane Research Institute cost of production has increased by Rs 23 per quintal, he said and added that government is dancing to the tune of sugar mill owners and is not concerned about farmers at all.
"The Samajwadi party Government is anti-farmers. Therefore, instead of benefiting farmers it offered sops to the industry by retaining last year’s cane price. The RlD is committed towards the welfare of farmers and therefore raise this issue at all public platform," he said.