Farmers warn of stir bigger than Delhi’s

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NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday accused the Centre of reneging on its promise of giving a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for all crops and warned the Centre of holding protests bigger in scale than the one in Delhi in 2020.

At a kisan mahapanchayat at Ramlila Maidan here, the SKM said, “The Centre should stop trying the patience of farmers. If the government continues to renege on its promises and shirk its responsibility towards farmers, they will be left with no option but to intensify the struggle.”

The SKM has been fighting for a legal guarantee on the MSP for all crops, based on the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Besides, it has been demanding that a committee on the MSP which was constituted by the Centre after PM Narendra Modi withdrew the three controversial agricultural laws should be reconstituted.

Addressing the gathering at Ramlila Maidan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said, “If we (farmers) want the MSP for all crops, we have to hold a protest bigger in scale than the one in 2020. We will have to fight hard to get our demands fulfilled.”

A delegation of SKM leaders met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar and submitted a memorandum of long-pending demands.