Punjab farmers to stage sit-ins outside homes of BJP leaders

Punjab farmers have decided to stage sit-ins outsides homes of BJP leaders from Thursday besides extending their rail roko agitation the Centre's farm laws for an indefinite period.

Farmers' bodies will also urge village panchayats to get resolutions against the contentious laws passed through gram sabhas.

As many as 31 farmers' bodies have joined hands to intensify the agitation.

Farmers will stage sit-ins outside residences of BJP leaders in the state, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said on Wednesday.

Singh said they decided to stage 'dharnas' outside residences of four BJP leaders, including former minister Surjit Kumar Jyani.

He said farmers under the banner of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) will also block rail tracks at Patiala, Sunam (Sangrur), Budhlada (Mansa) and Gidderbaha (Muktsar) for an indefinite period.

Similarly, other farm bodies will also participate in the rail roko agitation at several places in the state.

At present, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee is holding a rail roko agitation at Amritsar and Ferozepur since September 24.

Kokrikalan said they have also decided to hold agitations outside shopping malls and fuel stations owned by corporates as a mark of protest against the farm laws.

Farmers have already given a call to boycott some corporate houses and their products in the state.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, alleged that the Centre wanted to benefit a few corporate houses with these black laws .

BKU (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said they will also get resolutions passed against these laws through gram sabhas.

In Bathinda, some Punjabi singers also participated in a protest of the farmers against the farm laws.

The opposition SAD will take out kisan marches on October 1 and hand over a memorandum against the farm laws to Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore.

Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Dalji Singh Cheema said two lakh people will join three separate kisan marches starting from the three Sikh Takhts to Chandigarh.

Cheema said party president Sukhbir Singh Badal will lead a kisan march from the Akal Takht at the Golden Temple while former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal will lead a march from Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo and Prem Singh Chandumajra from Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday assented to the three contentious bills -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.