New Delhi: The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has decided not to join farmer protests in eight states, calling the 10-day strike “politically motivated".
Farmers’ unions in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and Chhattisgarh launched the protest on Friday morning, shutting down supply of milk, vegetables and essential farm produce to cities to press the government on their demands.
Among their major demands are one-time loan waiver, higher minimum support prices and higher prices for their produce in general. The protesters will also mark first anniversary of the Mandsaur bloodshed on June 6. Six farmers were killed in police firing during protests in the MP district last year.
Mohini Mohan, national secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, told News18.com that issues were “compromised" during the Mandsaur agitation. “This is a political agitation and not about farmer’s issues. The last time, we were able to reach some positive results with the state government in Madhya Pradesh, but the planned violence spoiled the efforts," Mohan told News18.com.
He alleged that the latest protests were aimed at influencing the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “There are politically motivated elements that plan violence and this one has been organised keeping 2019 elections in mind. We don’t want to be part of it."
Mohan added that the BKS was not in agreement with the farmers’ demands. “We are not in favour of this demand of loan waiver. In the past, it has not given any concrete result. Our demands are of profitable Minimum Support Price," he said.
He also expressed surprise at the presence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists in the protest. “The Delhi government does not even have a ministry of agriculture. How can they step out in farmer protests? I find it very strange."
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