The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Wednesday accused the Centre of trying to “counter and destroy” the farmers’ movement against the new agri laws and said it has appealed for peaceful protests during the “rail roko” agitation on February 18.
The statement of the umbrella body of protesting unions came a day after BJP chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah met party functionaries, MPs and MLAs from Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the wake of mahapanchayats being organised by farmer leaders.
During the meeting, the BJP leaders from the farm community of these States were asked to clear misconceptions about the laws, sources had said.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had last week announced the rail blockade to press for its demand to repeal the legislations, said that it “appeals to everyone for a peaceful protest in the nationwide “rail roko” programme on February 18”.
Earlier, farmer unions had called a “chakka jam” on February 6 and a ‘tractor parade’ in Delhi on January 26, during which a section of protesters clashed with police, overturned vehicles while some hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
“The (rail roko) programme will be organised from 12 pm to 4 pm in which support is expected from all over the country,” the SKM said in a statement.
The SKM has taken note of the high-level meeting of the BJP president, Shah and other ministers with elected party leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, it said.