BKU (Charuni) to contest all four seats in Assembly byelections

Surinder Bhardwaj

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 22

The meeting of the state unit of Bhartiya Kissan Union (Charuni) was held at Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib here today under the presidentship of president Gurnam Singh Charuni. In this meeting, large number of office-bearers and farmers belonging to the union participated and various issues being faced by the farming community were discussed.

Addressing mediapersons, Charuni said that the recent hike in MSP of 14 crops is a cruel joke as the rates should be increased according to inflation. Moreover, the farmers want legal guarantee on MSP. He said that it has been decided in the meeting that BKU (Charuni) will field its candidates in all the four Assembly by-elections to be held in the state as well as in Haryana and to further strengthen its organisation. Charuni said that the leaders and workers of the state unit have been assigned the duties in this regard and they have been directed to visit their areas to hold meetings with farmers and to identify the respective candidates. He said that the Central Government is still not serious about the demands of the farmers and their legitimate demands are not being implemented and they are being forced to start agitation. He said that Kissan Samman Nidhi to the farmers by the Prime Minister is not an honour but an insult. The money given under the scheme is only 17 rupees a day, which is neither going to serve any purpose nor their debt is going to come down.

Answering a query regarding hardships being faced by commuters due to blockade of GT Road at Sambhu, he said that the farmers have closed one side of the road but the government has closed all the roads so that the farmers cannot go to Delhi to fulfil their demands. He said that government should start dialogue with the farmers immediately so that at least one side of the GT Road on borders may be opened for traffic. He alleged the state government has not supported the farmers.