Punjab villagers to be mobilised to oppose BJP candidates: farmer leader

Villagers in Punjab will be mobilised to oppose BJP candidates who come to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said on Tuesday. Farmers will continue to ask questions of BJP leaders and show them black flags for not agreeing to their demands, Lakhowal said.

BJP candidates and leaders have faced protests from farmers at several places during their poll campaign in the state. Its Faridkot candidate Hans Raj Hans, Amritsar nominee Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Dinesh Babbu in Gurdaspur and Preneet Kaur in Patiala have faced farmers' protests.

Farmers under the SKM banner have said they will oppose the BJP and ask people to "punish" the saffron party in the elections. Lakhowal told reporters in Chandigarh that one lakh posters of a questionnaire will be put up in Punjab's villages.

The SKM, which spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers' stir against the now-repealed farm laws, has already prepared an 11-point questionnaire for farmers to pose to BJP leaders.

The questionnaire includes queries such as why farmers were not allowed to march to Delhi and why "force" was used against them.

Lakhowal further said people in villages will be mobilised so that they ask questions to BJP leaders when they come to campaign. "We want people to protest against BJP leaders in a peaceful manner," he added.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, another farm leader, said they will not allow any confrontation during the protests.

Farmers owing allegiance to various outfits have been protesting against the BJP-led Union government for not accepting their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops.

They have also lashed out at the Centre over farmers not being allowed to march to Delhi, forcing them to camp at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.

The SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha spearheaded a 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee on minimum support price for crops.

The protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri since 13 February, when their march was stopped by security forces.

Polling for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats will be held on 1 June.