‘Gherao city from all sides, make ‘Delhi’ in Bengaluru’

Shimoga: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told farmers in Karnataka to organise a protest in the state similar to that of Delhi and gherao Bengaluru from all sides.

Addressing a farmers’ meeting here, Tikait said a strategy has been made to snatch farmers’ land in the state.

“There are lakhs of people gheraoing Delhi. This fight will go on for a long. We need to start such protest in every city until these 3 black laws are taken back and the law on MSP is not brought. You need to run a protest in Karnataka. A strategy has been made to snatch your land. Big companies will do farming… Labour laws have been amended to employ cheap labour,” the BKU leader said.

“You need to make a ‘Delhi’ in Bengaluru. You need to gherao Bengaluru (like Delhi) from all sides and people will come and join your protest… The Prime Minister said farmers can sell crops anywhere so you take your crops to offices of District Collector, SDM and if the police stop you, ask them to buy crops on MSP,” Tikait said.

The BKU leader said farmers need to protest against the Central government’s decision of privatising PSUs.

“If this (farmers’) agitation is not held, then the country will be sold and you will lose your land in the next 20 years. You need to protest against these companies. Around 26 major PSUs are in process of privatisation. We need to take a pledge to stop this sale. We need to protest against this,” he said.

Farmers have been protesting at the different border of Delhi since November last year against the three 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.