Rajasthan Kisan Morcha chief Ranjeet Singh Raju.
Credit: X/@PTI_News
Pandher said this while responding to the SKM's claims in the media that it was neither invited nor consulted before deciding about the 'Dilli Chalo' call.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Dilli Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver.
As we get the latest updates on the farmers' protest, here are some visuals of the protest.
Farmers at the Shambhu border.
Farmers wetting up jute bags to use them during tear gas shelling.
Farmers at the protest site near Shambhu barrier.
A farmer with his family during a candlelight vigil in tribute to a farmer.
Farmers listen to a speaker, at a protest site during the march.
Farmers shout slogans as they burn an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers at a protest site.
A Nihang or a Sikh warrior rests on a makeshift barricade of sand bags, at a protest site during 'Dilli Chalo' march.
A protester tries to put off tear gas at the Shambhu border.
Protestor who has applied multani mitti and worn glasses to save himself from tear gas shelling.
A farmer stands next to a concrete block at the protest site.
Amid the ongoing farmers' protest, the Haryana government on Tuesday announced that mobile internet services and bulk SMS will remain suspended at certain places in Ambala district till February 29.
Mobile internet and bulk SMS services were first suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa on February 11, with repeated suspensions.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the Modi government is 'least bothered' about farmers and concerned 'only about Lok Sabha polls'.
An injured farmer at the Rajindra hospital talked to an Independent journalist, Praveen, and described the situation of farmers' protest.
"The government asks us to come without tractors, and when we park tractors and come by foot, why do they attack us then? They even fired shells on ambulances. Many personnel are not wearing any uniforms but it seems like they have army weapons It comes under human rights violation. I was about a km away from the site and still got attacked", Patiala farmer Sarabjit Singh said.
"We don't want independence from India but in India", he said.
Rajasthan Kisan Morcha chief Ranjeet Singh Raju said, "Our aim is to march to Delhi but the biggest aim is to get our demands fulfilled. We have not blocked the road, the government has stopped us".
Farmers' started the latest 'Dilli Chalo' protest on February 13, demanding the Central government to bring about a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
The MSP is the lowest rate at which government procurement agencies buy crops from farmers. The scheme was first introduced in the mid-1960s as a safety net for farmers, protecting them from the uncertainties of the market.
Thousands of farmers have been camping on the Punjab-Haryana border near Ambala, about 200 kilometres from Delhi, after their march was thwarted by security personnel.
'Dilli Chalo' march, spearheaded by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), has affected the traffic movement at the Singhu and Tikri border points between Delhi and Haryana.
So far, four rounds of meetings have been held between the Union government and farmer leaders but they have not resulted in anything concrete.
On February 18, after the latest meeting between Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, Nityanand Rai and farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, the government offered to procure five crops on MSP by entering into a contract for five years. The protesting farmers, however, rejected the government’s offer.
Telangana Kisan Congress activists took part in a rally in solidarity with farmers protesting in Punjab and Haryana over their demand for MSP, in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.
Credit: PTI photo
On Tuesday, members of various NGOs took part in a candlelight vigil in tribute to a farmer who was allegedly killed in police action at Khanauri border amid farmers' protest.
Members of various NGOs took part in a candlelight vigil at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, in Amritsar.
Credit: PTI Photo