Farmers burn copies of farm laws in Punjab

Farmers burnt copies of the Centre's three farm laws near residences of BJP leaders and at other places in Punjab on Saturday as they observed 'Sampoorna Kranti Diwas' to mark the day when these legislations were promulgated as ordinances last year.

Farmers carrying black flags raised slogans against the BJP-led central government for not scrapping the legislations which, they said, will "destroy" the farming community.

Police personnel were deployed and barricades put up near the protest sites to maintain law and order.

The call for observing 'Sampoorna Kranti Diwas' was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the farm laws.

In Phagwara, farmers burnt copies of the farm laws near the residence of Union minister Som Parkash at Urban Estate. The protesters assembled near the GT Road and marched towards his residence.

Police put up barricades on the road leading to Prakash's house to prevent protesters from reaching there, officials said.

The Union minister was not at home at the time of the protest.

The agitating farmers also held a protest near Prakash's residence in Mohali district. Police were deployed and barricades erected outside the minister's house to prevent any untoward incident.

In Chandigarh, a protest was held against the Centre for not repealing the farm laws, the main demand of the agitating farmers.

After being promulgated as ordinances on this day last year, the farm legislations were passed by Parliament in September. The president gave his assent to the bills later that month.

Scores of farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November last year demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.

Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over these contentious laws.

The government last held talks with farmer leaders on January 22. The talks between the two sides came to a halt after a January 26 tractor parade by farmers in Delhi turned violent.