As the deadlock prevails after several rounds of talks with the Centre, farmer unions on Tuesday hinted at intensifying their protest against contentious agriculture laws and said that they would boycott Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Addressing a press conference, Krantikari Kisan Union President Darshan Pal said that 'Azad Hind Kisan Diwas' will be celebrated on January 23, on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary.
"From January 6 to 20, Jan Jagaran Abhiyan will be held. We will continue to boycott the products and services of Ad and Amb. Toll plazas in Haryana and Punjab will be free. We will expose BJP and their partners in NDA. We will boycott them and will show them black flags," Pal said.
"On January 18, Mahila Kisan Diwas will be held, on January 23, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Azad Hind Kisan Diwas will be celebrated and on January 25, 26, tractor parades will take place," he added.
Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav said that 'tractor march' will be held on January 7 at all borders of Delhi.
"We will take out tractor march at four borders of Delhi including Eastern and Western peripheral. This will be a trailer for what lies ahead on January 26. As you know that the government has held seven formal rounds of talks with the farmers on January 4. Seven months have passed when the ordinance was brought and later made into law. We are demanding the repeal of these laws. The only option left is to intensify our protest," he said.
"It has been decided that farmers will take out 'tractor march' from four sides of Delhi including Eastern and Western peripheral. The march will begin on January 7 at 11 am from the Kundli border, the other from the Tikri border, the third from Ghazipur to Palwal, and Mewat to Palwal. This will be a trailer for what lies ahead on January 26 tractor parade" Yadav added.
Rajaram Singh, general secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha said: "A Union Minister said that problem of surplus food grain is a cause of concern. It is shameful. This shows that they want to towards corporate farming. The government should repeal these laws."
Yudhvir Singh, General Secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Union said that the government's behaviour shows that they are "ignoring farmers".
The eighth round of talks between farmers and the government including one with Union Home Minister Amit Shah took place on Monday.
After the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government could not reach any "solution" as the farmer unions remained "adamant" over repealing three farm laws.
However, the minister said he is "hopeful" that a conclusion will be found in the next round of talks which will be held on January 8 at 2 pm.
Farmers have been protesting at the gates of Delhi since November 26 last year against the newly enacted farm laws -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
( With inputs from ANI )
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