Farmers Movement Archive

Listen carefully, farmers won't stop protests: Yogendra Yadav

Yogendra Yadav, Swaraj Party leader who has been supporting the protests against the three farm laws, said on Friday farmers will continue holding their stance against the legislation and will not turn away. "Modi ji and Yogi ji and all others must listen carefully. Farmers will not go back from this movement, humiliated and defamed,'' Yadav said during a farmers' rally at Delhi's border with Uttar Pradesh.Earlier in the day, clashes broke out at the Singhu border between the farmers and counter-protesters who wanted the agitators to vacate the area. Both the groups pelted stones prompting the police to fire multiple tear gas shells in order to control the situation at the protest site. At least one local resident and a police personnel were injured during the clashes.Also Read | Tense situation at protest sites, police fire tear gas shells at SinghuFarmers have been protesting on the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the new agricultural laws that the opposition parties and farmers say have been passed without any deliberations.Farmers from various states have been protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, that they deem only benefit the market capitalists.Yadav is among the more than 40 people who have been named in the first information reports (FIRs) filed by the Delhi Police after the January 26 violence in the Capital. The police asked these farmers' leaders, including Yadav, Rakesh Tikait and Balbeer Singh Rajewal to submit their response within three days, explaining why legal action should not be taken against them as they did not follow the conditions set for the tractor rally.Also Read | 5,000 farmers gather to support Rakesh Tikait after he wept on national TVThe Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions protesting against the Centre's three farm laws at various border points of Delhi, said it will not be intimidated by the notices. It also alleged that the government is trying to put an end to the farmers' protests by blaming it for the violence during the January 26 tractor rally.

Hindustan Times

29-01-2021

India