CHANDIGARH/ NEW DELHI: Stepping up pressure, farmers have decided to intensify their protests over the farm Bills by laying siege to corporate houses, offices, malls and residences of the BJP leaders in Punjab.
Also, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to join agitating Punjab farmers on Gandhi Jayanti.
However, there is a possibility that he may not be allowed to enter BJP-ruled Haryana by the state government to reach Punjab.
More than 12,000 farmers have been sitting on rail tracks in Punjab and indefinite Rail Roko to start from October 1 in the state.
They have started a new campaign ‘Gherao Corporate Businesses’ after the three controversial farm Bills were now laws after the Presidential nod on Sunday.
Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the Centre over the farm legislations and has interacted with farmers via video conferencing. The Congress has been holding protests across the country over the new laws and has announced to submit 2 crore signatures of farmers to President Ram Nath Kovind.
In line with the concerted opposition to these anti-farmers’ legislations, the party will observe ‘Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas’ on October 2 by holding dharnas and marches at every assembly and district headquarters across the country.
Addressing the huge gathering in Ferozepur, on the 113th Birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and hanging Bhagat Singh’s poster on the railway track. Satnam Singh Pannu BKU (Pannu Group), president announced to continue the protest till October 2 and dedicated the month of October as joint protest. Already till date around 20 trains have been cancelled or diverted and daily loss of two third of the freight as before the agitation around 35 to 40 rakes was lifted daily from the state now only about 10 rakes.
Talking with this newspaper, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, General Secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan Group) said, “As the Modi government has enacted laws to favour corporate houses, we have decided to gherao all businesses run by MNCs from October 1 for indefinite period.”
“On Tuesday, in our state level meeting we will give final shape to these protests after identifying 18 to 20 points in the state where to lay siege. Each protest site is expected to see a gathering of 2,000 to 15,000 protestors."
The farmers protest also reached the national capital as the Punjab Youth Congress leaders burnt a tractor near the India Gate following which five of them including the state unit president were arrested by the Delhi Police.