Chhattisgarh: Rakesh Tikait to address 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Rajim today
Rakesh Tikait will address a 'Kisan mahapanchayat' in Rajim in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district today, organisers of the event said. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader will also be accompanied by Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar and others. The event will be held from 11 am under the aegis of Chhattisgarh Kisan Majdoor Mahasangh (CKMM), an umbrella body of farm outfits, at Krishi Upaj Mandi premises, Tejram Vidrohi, convener of CKMM's organising committee, said on Monday.
"Apart from the withdrawal of the three farm laws, we also want the Centre to enact a law to ensure minimum support price (MSP) guarantee for agriculture produce," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA and former minister Brijmohan Agrawal called the event a "state-sponsored" one with the Chhattisgarh CM and Congress ministers expressing support to save their faces.
"Nothing will happen with the visit if Tikait ji, He is just wasting his time. There is no provision in these bills which harms the interests of farmers and labourers," he added.
The three laws, namely The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020, were passed by Parliament in September last year.
While those opposing these laws have claimed the Centre was trying to bring in corporates and private firms into the agriculture sector at the expense of farmers, the Union government has said these legislations are aimed at increasing the income of cultivators.
(PTI Inputs)
