SKM terms ‘Zero FIR’ eyewash, to hold ‘mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14
SKM, an umbrella body of 37 farm unions, in a meeting in Ludhiana, demanded that the FIR should have been registered against Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana director general of police and state home minister.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday termed the ‘Zero FIR’ lodged by Punjab Police in the matter of the death of 21-year-old farmer Shubh Karan Singh as an ‘eyewash.’
SKM, an umbrella body of 37 farm unions, in a meeting in Ludhiana, demanded that the FIR should have been registered against Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana director general of police and state home minister.
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), Balbir Singh Rajewal, Kiranjit Singh Sekhon, Binder Singh Golewal, Kamalpreet Singh Pannu, Sukhgill Moga, Harmeet Singh Kadian, Baldev Singh Nihalgarh, Boota Singh Burj Gill, Bogh Singh and others were present at the meeting.
SKM also announced their itinerary for the scheduled ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Ram Leela ground in Delhi on March 14 and will also attend the prayer meet of Shubh Karan Singh at his native place village Balloh in Bathinda on March 3.
The SKM leaders announced that they would go to Delhi via public transport – including trains and buses.
Addressing the media, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU, Lakhowal) president Harinder Singh Lakhowal said that the farmers will start gathering in Delhi from March 12.
“The unions will hold rallies at the village level from March 5 to mobilise farmers and bring them on one stage. On March 11, we will hold a meeting in Ludhiana to chalk out the plan to reach Delhi,” Lakhowal said.
Lakhowal said SKM has already sought permission from the Union government, Delhi police and other authorities to hold a one-day protest.
“If the government did not allow us to hold ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’, they would initiate protests against the government and boycott BJP in the upcoming general elections. A total of 450 farm unions, from all over India – including 37 from Punjab will take part in the mahapanchayat. Rakesh Tikait, who led the protest in Delhi in 2020-21 will also join. We are expecting a gathering of over one lakh farmers, including over 50,000 from Punjab,” Lakhowal said.
Lakhowal said the government has offered the farmers to go by buses and trains and promised that nobody will stop them from holding a peaceful protest.
“We will have the next meeting on March 11 in case permission for the Delhi meet is not given. We will decide on further line of action on March 11,” he added.
Lakhowal added that SKM has sent a proposal to farm unions protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders to join them at the Delhi event.
“The six-member committee formed to hold meetings with Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal – part of SKM (non-political), have been invited to join the mahapanchayat in Delhi. They haven’t replied to the invite yet,” said Kamalpreet Singh Pannu, an SKM leader.