Chandigarh, February 12
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday alleged that many agriculturists, who were coming from other states, including Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, to support the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, have been detained and sought their release.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farm unions would march to Delhi on February 13 to press the Centre to accept several demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Dallewal claimed that several farmers coming from Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, owing allegiance to SKM, have been detained in Bhopal.
“On the one side, they (the Centre) are holding dialogue with us and on the other hand they are detaining our people. Then how will this dialogue take place?” said Dallewal, who is the SKM leader.
“We have told the government that it should release our people. The government needs to create a positive atmosphere for dialogue,” he said.
“If the government is saying that it is positive, the farmers are more positive (for dialogue). We do not have any intention to indulge in ruckus and cause any damage. We hold peaceful protests,” said Dallewal, who is the president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur).
Dallewal said farmer leaders would hold their meeting in Mohali at 3 pm.
Dallewal slammed the Haryana government for making heavy security arrangements at the Punjab-Haryana borders and “harassing” farmers who wanted to join the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
On the one side, the government is holding dialogue with farmers and on the other hand, heavy barricading has been done at the Punjab-Haryana borders, he said.
A team of three Union ministers on Monday will hold a meeting with a delegation of farmer leaders who have planned to head towards Delhi as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai will arrive in Chandigarh on Monday to hold a second round of talks with farmer leaders to discuss their demands. The meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 at 5 pm.
