Farmers Movement Archive

Leaders under detention, farmers stage protests across west UP

AGRA/PILIBHIT: Hundreds of farmers staged protests against the new farm laws in western Uttar Pradesh on Monday amid heavy deployment of police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). While several farmer leaders were detained at home in Agra, police thwarted their attempt to block the highways in Pilibhit. Meanwhile in Firozabad and Mathura, over 100 SP workers were detained for staging protests in solidarity with the farmers. Security was also beefed up near the houses of BJP functionaries to prevent any untoward incident. Additional superintendent of police (Firozabad city) Mukesh Chandra Mishra said, “Around 100 SP workers were arrested after they tried to stage a protest at a public place without any prior permission. They were shifted to a temporary jail set up at Police Lines. We are considering taking legal action against them. To maintain the law and order situation, some of the farmer association leaders were also detained at their homes. Following strict security arrangements, no untoward incident was reported in the district.” In Agra district, senior SP leader Ramjilal Suman and 50 other SP leaders were detained when they tried to organize a protest march. The Bharatiya Kisan Union district president was not allowed to enter the district collectorate and launch an indefinite strike while many farmer leaders were detained. In Kasganj, SP workers led by district president Devender Singh Yadav went to district headquarters on a bullock cart and handed over a memorandum to the DM. In Etah, SP workers and farmer leaders organized protest marches at different places and around 50 protesters were detained. Congress, SP and RLD workers staged protests in Mainpuri, Aligarh and Mathura and were taken into police custody. In Mainpuri, 200 SP workers led by MLA Raju Yadav staged a protest in support of the farmers and raised slogans against the government. Mathura SP (city) Uday Shankar Singh said that 35 SP workers and 43 RLD workers were arrested under section 151 of CrPC. In Pilibhit, a few farmer groups succeeded in demonstrating at some spots, including the agriculture produce marketing committee (APMC) office at the district headquarters, despite their tractor trolleys having been seized by the police. Hundreds of farmers under the aegis of BKU jammed the Bind-Lipulekh highway in front of Pilibhit APMC and raised anti-Modi and anti-government slogans. A group of farmers which included a number of women, began their march on foot from Kalinagar tehsil and after covering a distance of 18 kilometres, reached the district headquarters where they handed over their memorandum to the administrative officials.

The Times of India

2020-12-15

Agra