New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) on Tuesday strongly condemned the steps taken by the Central government to “suppress” the farmers’ protest.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers.
“All India Forward Bloc strongly condemns the anti-democratic steps taken by the Union government to suppress the protest of the farmers,” AIFB general secretary G Devarajan said in a statement.
“The Modi government is resorting to extreme measures to crush the farmers’ strike by creating a highly volatile and tense situation at the borders of Delhi. The unprecedented deployment of police and paramilitary forces and the use of tear gas shells, water cannons, barricades with concrete blocks and sharp nails to subdue the farmers are highly condemnable measures,” he said.
On Tuesday, farmers from Punjab clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break past barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital.
Police lobbed tear gas shells and tried to disperse groups of stone-pelting protesters in the face-off that last several hours at Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana.
“The farmers are not demanding anything new. The farmers are demanding the immediate enactment of a law that guarantees Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for their produce, the withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, and the complete withdrawal of all cases filed against them during their last struggle. When the strike was called off in 2022, the government had promised the farmers that their demands would be resolved favourably,” Devarajan said.
He said the AIFB stands in “firm solidarity” with the ongoing farmers’ struggle and the ‘Grameen Bandh’ called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, supported by the Central Trade Unions on February 16, 2024.
“We pledge our unwavering support to this cause and urge all citizens to join us in this fight for justice and democratic rights,” he said.
The AIFB urged the government to withdraw immediately the imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC which bans all protests in Delhi.
“The ban on all protests in Delhi under the pretence of the farmers’ strike is a clear infringement of our fundamental rights and freedom of expression. It is our duty to raise our voices and ensure that the government respects and upholds our Constitution,” he said. PTI AO KVK KVK
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