CHANDIGARH: Recalling all the ongoing dharnas across the state, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organization of farmer unions that led the 2020-21 protests, has decided to hold demonstrations outside the residences of all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on March 10 and on March 15.
Furthermore, the SKM has invited Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for an open debate with the farmer leaders on their demands.
After an emergency meeting in Ludhiana on Thursday, attended by 22 of the 28 farmer leaders from various unions within the state unit of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), BKU (Lakhowal) president and senior SKM leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal told TNIE that it was decided farmer unions will stage dharnas in front of the residences of all AAP MLAs across the state on March 10, from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Additionally, the ongoing dharnas by farmers, which had been prompted after the Punjab Police stopped them while they were heading to Chandigarh, have been called off.
" On March 15, SKM leaders will be holding a meeting at the Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh so we extended an invitation to the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to come and have an open debate with us on all the farmer issues. As he (Mann) had said that the demands of the farmers are not related to state government but are related with central government,’’ he said.
Lakhowal further said, "It was also decided that if CM Mann is not available on March 15, he can give us any time, date and place and we will send five for our leaders to have an open debate with him.’’
The resentment of the farmer leaders against the government has grown after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann walked out of a meeting with SKM leaders, which was called on March 4 to resolve issues with farmers’ unions to cancel a scheduled farmers protest on Wednesday, March 5.
Punjab Police thwarted the `Chandigarh Chalo’ attempt of farmers on SKM’s call for a week-long dharna as multiple checkpoints were set up across the state and security stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory.
This move is seen as an escalation of SKM’s agitation against the state government, as it is now targeting the ruling party.