NEW DELHI: In addition to their support to the agitating wrestlers, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) – a collective of farmers’ unions – has announced it is planning to resume its protests in Telangana, MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the polls are due this year.
In a presser on Sunday in Delhi, the collective reiterated its demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, loan waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, a pro-farmer plan for insurance claims for damaged crops and withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill.
The SKM strongly opposed the government’s “pro-corporate” policy and laid out their next six months’ plan. The SKM will organise marches in different parts of the country, culminating in a rally in Delhi on November 26, the anniversary of the farmers’ historic protest.
The farmer leaders demanded the dismissal of the Minister of State (Home Affairs) Ajay Mishra Teni for his role in the death of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri who were run over by his convoy. The farmers also demanded action against Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh over alleged sexual harassment. “Our demand is the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh to protect the dignity of our daughters,” Darshanpal Singh, convenor of SKM, told this paper.
They also supported the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satyapal Mallik, and criticised the government’s move to de-recognize the country’s two oldest postal unions that backed the farmers’ movement.
Media is supporting Brij Bhushan: Protesting wrestlers
The protesting wrestlers on Sunday accused the media of helping WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh more than the players, saying the newspersons should not give him the platform to speak.
"The media is supporting Brij Bhushan more than the players. You see his criminal records. Does any player, sitting here, or players from other sports, have a criminal record?" wrestler Bajrang Punia asked during a media interaction.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court had asked the Delhi Police to provide appropriate security to the victims who had levelled allegations against the WFI chief. (Click here to read more....)
(With inputs from ENS, Ujwal Jalali)