Farm laws: Leaders of Punjab's AAP unit to stage protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Oct 12

The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said it will hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 12 to support farmers who are opposing the new farm laws.

Speaking at a gram sabha here, AAP state unit president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said party legislators, office-bearers and volunteers will stage a sit-in at Jantar Mantar and seek scrapping of the "anti-farmer" laws.

He said if the country's 'annadata' (farmers) are not protected from these "black laws", it would prove to be the "death knell" not only for them but also for 'arthiyas' (commission agents), transporters, and mandi labourers, etc.

Mann called upon all to rise above political and other considerations and raise the pitch against the implementation of these laws, saying they would "impinge" upon the rights of the states and give corporates a free hand to "loot" the poor farmers.

The AAP leader also attacked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and the Badals over the farm laws.

He alleged they played a "pivotal" role in facilitating the passage of the "draconian" laws brought in by the central government.

Mann called upon every panchayat to convene gram sabhas in their respective villages so that the Union government's move to implement the three "anti-farmer and anti-people" laws by "force" can be thwarted.

The gram sabhas of Bihala and Naroli villages here adopted a resolution for repealing the new laws under the party's 'Gram Sabha Bulao, Pind Bachao, Punjab Bachao' campaign, the AAP said in a statement.

The AAP had been critical of the farm laws since day one. It has said it will extend whole-hearted support to the protesting farmers and various farmer organisations by holding 'Jan Sabhas' in every village across the state to tell people about the "disastrous" implications of these laws.

The government has been saying that the three farm laws, which were passed by Parliament recently amid a vociferous Opposition protest, will raise farmers' income, free them from the clutches of the middleman and usher in new technology in farming.

The Opposition and some farmers' organisations have, however, been agitating against the laws alleging they will destroy the Minimum Support Price mechanism, end Agricultural Produce Market Committees and allow corporates to arm-twist farmers. PTI 

Image Credits: PTI