Farmers protesting to demand Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops in the Indian state of Haryana gathered for a Mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra city on Monday (June 12). Visuals shared by the news agency ANI showed farmers arriving for the Mahapanchayat in their tractors, seemingly obstructing traffic movement. The farmers have demanded MSP for sunflower seeds.
Speaking to ANI, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said, “We have only two demands, release the farmers who were detained and start purchasing sunflower seeds at MSP. We are ready to hold discussions with the government.”
The farmers have demanded the release of their leaders, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) state president Gurnam Singh Charuni, who was sent to custody for 14 days for blocking the national highway near Shahabad on June 7.
Amid reports of the farmers blocking the National Highway to Delhi, Tikait said, “We are not blocking the highway. It is not right, highways should not be blocked.”
Wrestler Bajrang Punia attends Mahapanchayat
Olympian wrestler Bajrang Punia, who has been protesting and demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, took part in Monday’s Mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra.
Speaking to ANI, Punia said, “We have come here to support the farmers. Even we come from farming families. We will stand with the farmers who are standing on the roads.”
“We have supported farmers even during the farmers’ protest and we will keep supporting them,” he added.
Sunflower crop procurement picks up in Haryana
Monday’s Mahapanchayat comes a day after the Haryana government said there was a spike in the procurement of the sunflower crop at the Shahbad grain market in Kurukshetra, following Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announcing relief to the sunflower farmers by giving interim procurement price by Rs 1,000 per quintal under Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana.
According to a report by the news agency IANS, Kurukshetra has the highest production of sunflower and its main procurement centre is Shahbad. Besides, the sunflower purchase centres have been set up at places in the Ambala, Yamunanagar, Karnal, and Panchkula districts of the state.
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
For all the latest business News Click Here
