Kashmiri farmers on Friday morning staged a demonstration in Srinagar to support the demand for Minimum Support Price and the farmers who are agitating for this demand.
The protest was a response to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ to urge the government to meet the farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Meanwhile, as per a report by Indian Express, the police detained the 50 farm leaders and activists near Pratap Park Srinagar as they gathered for the protest and took them to Kothibagh police station.
Jammu Kashmir Apple Farmers’ Federation, CITU, Scheme workers and Kisan Tehrik held a peaceful protest demonstration organized it in response to Gramin Bharat Bandh at Press Colony Srinagar and Jammu, according to a pres release issued to The Kashmiriyat.
“In Srinagar Police resorted on laathi charge on the workers who assembled at Press Colony Srinagar without any provocation from the protesters and tried to disperse the workers. Police arrested many leaders and activists including Jammu Kashmir Apple Farmers Federations’ President, Zahoor Ahmad Rather, Secretary, Ab Rashid Itoo, Kisan Leader and DDC Chairman Mohd Afzal Parray, CITU leader Ab Rashid Pandit, Youth activist, Javid Ahmad, Ex Sarpanch,Reyaz Ahmad, Ex Sarpanch Sheeraz Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad and many workers unlawfully,” the press release read.
This high handedness of police is highly unwarranted and unacceptable, senior CPI (M)leader, MY Tarigami said.
Later on Asha and Anganwari workers protested and urged upon the govt to redress their grievances and besides demanded the immediate release of the arrested Kisan and CITU leaders.
Meanwhile, the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, initiated by farmers from Punjab, faced opposition from security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, leading to a prolonged camp at the border points entering its fourth day on Friday.