President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Bhanu) Bhanu Pratap Singh was never a part of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, said farmer leaders at Singhu border during a press conference on December 13, 2020.
“Bhanu Pratap may have met government officials and finished his dharna but we clarify that he was never a part of our coalition. He has no connection with the farmers’ movement. Our leaders will continue with tomorrow’s protest and observe fasts,” said a farmers’ leader.
Similarly, leaders also agreed to remove the former Convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) V. M. Singh for making an unauthorised comment regarding the farmers movement.
Leaders stressed that the December 14 nationwide protests would focus on two points: the dharnas outside district-level deputy commissioners’ offices and the fast by farmers’ leaders to oppose the three laws dubbed ‘anti-farmer’: The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
The opposition against the three laws has grown since the November 26 farmers’ protest.
“This protest will go stronger the more they try to suppress it. People of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were late in realising the consequences of these laws. But we stand with protesting farmers now. These laws will hurt farmers and consumers alike,” said farmer leader Jasbir Singh from Uttarakhand.
He also stated that 90 percent of the people, who met with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar regarding farmers’ protest, had nothing to do with farming while the remaining 10 percent were marginal farmers who were promised benefits on cooperating.
“When the government officials invited the people of Uttarakhand, they said they only wanted Sikhs. This shows the intent of the government,” he said.
Farmers leader Shiv Kumar Kakka told the media that the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha made all decisions based on a complete consensus. Thus, only those decisions declared by leaders at Singhu border were to be taken as the official statement of farmers agitation.
Lastly, Maharashtra’s farmer leader Sandeep Gidde called on all supporters from his state and Madhya Pradesh to assemble at Palwal district in Maharashtra adding that the Jaipur highway had been jammed.
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