Agitation over MSP for sunflower seeds: Gurnam Charuni, 8 BKU leaders sent to judicial custody

Nine leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), including its president Gurnam Singh Charuni, were arrested and sent to judicial custody for blocking the Delhi-Chandigarh highway (NH-44) near Shahabad, police said on Wednesday. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait addresses a gathering in Shahbad on Wednesday. (HT File) As many as 700 farmers have also been booked under sections including attempt-to-murder. Farmers in large numbers had laid siege to the highway on Tuesday and blocked vehicular movement, demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds on minimum support price (MSP). The Haryana government had recently announced that it won’t be procuring sunflower seeds on MSP but under the Bhavantar Bharpai scheme, which, farmers say, would lead to losses for them. On Tuesday, police had resorted to lathicharge and use of water cannons to disperse the farmers who had laid siege to the highway. Charuni accused the police of filing false charges against the protesters. “We don’t know on what grounds they have imposed Section 307 (attempt to murder) but we will continue our fight for the guaranteed MSP. We will win this battle”, he told mediapersons when he was produced in the court. Kurukshetra SP Surinder Singh Bhoria said that Section 307 was invoked as the farmers had tried to hit the police personnel with a tractor, of which there is a video recording. On Wednesday, as police took Charuni and others to the drict court, farmers raised slogans against the state and central governments. They also started an indefinite protest on Shahbad-Ladwa road demanding the release of the farmer leaders. In Ambala, a road blockade was reported in Saha and Naraingarh areas, where the protestors were removed the police forcefully. In Yamunanagar, farmers blocked Ambala Road at Kail village overnight, but were forced to vacate the site police. However, on Wednesday, they laid siege to Milk Majra toll plaza on Panchkula-Yamunanagar highway and vehicles passed free for a few hours. Release leaders, start procurement June 12: Farmers Farmer leaders associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have given an ultimatum to the government to release all detained leaders June 12 and start procurement, failing which, they will take a strong step. The farmers will also hold an ‘MSP Dilao Kisan Mahapanchayat’ on June 12 in Pipli. “We will take a decision on the further course of action in the meeting. But the protest will only end after the release of farmer leaders,” said BKU leader Sanju Gundiana, who leads the protest at Shahbad. Farmers’ unions from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab are expected to attend the rally. The peaceful protest at Shahbad is to continue, the SKM leaders said. Tikait comes out in Charuni’s support Charuni also found support from his bête-noire and BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, who reached the protest site on Wednesday and exhorted the farmers to take their agitation throughout the country. Tikait said, “This is the beginning of a new movement for guaranteed MSP in the country.” Charuni and Tikait had several differences during the farmers’ agitation, and the former was even removed from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha after he announced his plans to form a political party and contest assembly elections in Punjab. This is for the first time after the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws that the two leaders have come together. Speaking on this, Tikait said, “Though our flags are different, we are all fighting for the same cause.” “There is a need for a strong act to ensure that all crops are procured on the MSP. If we stay united, private traders cannot buy the produce below MSP. Our country needs a movement for MSP,” he added. — BOX– JJP MLA’s ultimatum to government Shahbad MLA Ram Karan Kala, who owes allegiance to Jannayak Janta Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s alliance partner in Haryana, has come out in support of the protesting farmers. MLA Kala said that he would resign as the chairperson of the Haryana Sugarfed (Haryana State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd) if the farmers’ demands are not met within 24 hours. Kala made the announcement during a press conference called cooperation and public health engineering miner Dr Banwari Lal at Chandigarh. “I have taken up the issue with deputy chief miner Dushyant Chautala who has given his assurance to resolve the issue. But I have also decided to resign from the post of Sugarfed chairman if the detained farmers were not released, procurement of sunflower not started on MSP and compensation is not ensured to injured farmers,” he said in a press conference at Chandigarh. The MLA has condemned the lathi-charge on the farmers saying that the latter were only protesting for their rights. “Along with the farmers, I also feel the pain of the police baton and this incident is very painful,” he said, adding, “The government could have resolved this issue amicably but there was no need to lathicharge the protesting farmers.” Farmer dies at protest site A 46-year-old farmer, identified as Bikram Singh, a resident of Jaisinghpura, died under mysterious circumstances during the protest on Karnal-Assandh road on Tuesday late evening. The farmers union expressed condolences on his death. Bahadur Singh Mehla, leader of BKU (Sir Chhotu Ram), said that farmer was under stress due to the lathicharge. In Karnal, the farmers were detained when they tried to lay siege of the Bastara toll plaza. Haryana urban local bodies miner Kamal Gupta said anti-social elements will be dealt with strongly as the government will maintain the law of land at any cost. (with inputs from HTC Ambala) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neeraj Mohan is a correspondent, covering Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Yamunanagar dricts of Haryana. …view detail