Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) led by Rakesh Tikait is holding a Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh. The congregation is claimed to be an effort to address the atrocities and demand justice amid the ongoing ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by different farmer unions. During the Mahapanchayat, the farmers will also discussed the ways forward for the ongoing agitation.
According to a Facebook post by Tikait, the Mahapanchayat, decided upon by the national working committee, focuses on discussing the current situation, particularly the challenges faced by farmers. Senior officials from BKU chapters in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Haryana participated in the event. This development coincides with discussions held by senior Union ministers, including Arjun Munda and other senior Modi government ministers to find a possible solution to the deadlock.
#BreakingNews: थोड़ी देर में शुरू होगी महापंचायत, यूपी के मुजफ्फनगर के सिसौली में महापंचायत #FarmerProtest2024 #KisanAndolan2024 | @Chandans_live @AmmyBhardwaj @pramodsharma29 @shivank_8mishra pic.twitter.com/HxUUXx81kK
— Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 17, 2024
As the protest by farmers continues for the fifth day, the flare-up indicates more clashes with security forces. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, embarked on the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13 to seek a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and ‘justice’ for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, among other demands.
Amidst the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Friday said that efforts to find a solution continue and the next round of talks with farmers will take place on Sunday. The third round of talks with the central government ended on Thursday, amid the standoff between the protestors and security personnel on the Punjab-Haryana border.