Farmers Unite: SKM Challenges Punjab's Protest Suppression

Samyukt Kisan Morcha has accused the Punjab government of infringing on farmers' democratic rights and urged participation in the March 5 'Pakka Morcha'. The SKM criticized the state's police actions and called for support of farmers' demands, emphasizing the constitutional right to protest.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) accused Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's government of suppressing farmers' democratic rights to peaceful protest. In a rallying call, the SKM urged Punjab farmers to join the March 5 'Pakka Morcha' in Chandigarh while demanding the release of farmer leaders detained by the Punjab Police.

In their release, SKM stated that coercion cannot weaken the farmers' steadfast struggle for long-awaited demands, such as repealing NPFAM, establishing MSP@C2+50 with legal backing, and a comprehensive loan waiver plan. They criticized the Punjab government's use of police force in raids, considering it a politically incorrect and unfortunate move that violates citizens' rights.

The SKM emphasized that Chief Minister Mann must acknowledge that labeling political protests as criminal acts undermines India's constitutional spirit. Although the Chief Minister participated in discussions with a 40-member SKM delegation, he abruptly ended talks, demanding a protest deferral. In response, police targeted farmers' leaders' homes, arresting figures like Balbir Singh Rajewal.