Farmers' leader says march ended but protest to continue, will teach govt lesson in 2019 if all demands not met

Ghaziabad: After ending the farmers’ march to Delhi on Wednesday, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said his organisation will continue to agitate till all their demands are met. If this does not happen, the farmers will teach a lesson to the central government in the 2019 parliamentary elections, he told PTI. [caption id=“attachment_5309771” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Thousands of farmers on Tuesday marched towards New Delhi. PTI[/caption] Thousands of farmers reached Kisan Ghat, the memorial to farmers’ leader and former prime minister Charan Singh, after the police allowed them to enter the national capital past midnight. Their demands include unconditional loan waiver, clearing of dues by sugar mills, higher prices for crops, free electricity for farms and a cut in diesel prices. “Our objective was to draw attention of the government towards the problems the farmers face and we achieved our goal,” Tikait said. He said people welcomed the Kisan Kranti Yatra, which began from Haridwar on 23 September, at 10 halts on the way. But Delhi Police barricaded the city’s border and stopped the peaceful protest march, he said. He accused the police of “brutality” against farmers at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, referring to a clash between them and some protesters after they were stopped Tuesday from entering the city. “Innocent farmers sustained injuries in the brutal lathi-charge by the Delhi Police,” he said, adding that the day happened to be Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. He said Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the stage with farm leaders and assured that their seven demands will be fulfilled. Janata Dal (United) general secretary KC Tyagi criticised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for not holding a dialogue with the protesting farmers while they were on their way to Delhi.