On a call of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in front of the district administrative complex here this afternoon. The protest was held against the rising inflation caused by the poor policies of the Central government and the Punjab government.
The farmers alleged that while the governments make very big claims, ordinary people had been severely affected by inflation. Jalandhar Cantonment Block President Sukhvir Singh Kukkar Pind, said, “The government is not providing jobs. Instead, it is raining batons on young people demanding employment. The rate of inflation continues to rise and hence it has become difficult for an ordinary citizen to even run a household.”
Farmers from various blocks, circles and villages of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Doaba were present at the protest. Gurchetan Singh Takhar, State Vice-President of BKU Doaba said, “The governments have increased petrol prices by Rs 10 and diesel prices by Rs 8 in the last few years. The protest was held to make the deaf and blind government hear the people’s voice.”
On this occasion, Rashpal Singh Shadipur (Block Senior Vice President), Inderjit Singh (Treasurer), Jaswant Singh Kahlo (Block NUrmahal) along with the entire team, Narendra Singh Udhowal (President, Mehatpur Block), Balwinder Singh Lohgarh, Avtar Singh Kot Kalan, Kulwinder Singh, Mangal Singh and Pala Kot Khurd were present.
Protests held in Phagwara and Kapurthala too
Farmers’ organisations staged separate demonstrations in Phagwara and Kapurthala on Sunday, voicing concerns over rising inflation, increasing agricultural input costs and policies they claim have adversely affected Punjab’s farming community. The protests concluded peacefully, with authorities reporting no disruption to law and order.
In Phagwara, members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba), responding to a call by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), assembled outside the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner under the leadership of Kirpal Singh Mussapur, State Vice-President of BKU (Doaba). During the protest, speakers criticised both the BJP-led Central Government and the AAP-led Punjab Government, alleging that their policies had contributed to economic hardships faced by farmers and rural households.
Addressing the gathering, Kirpal Singh Mussapur said that escalating prices of urea, fertilisers, petrol and diesel had significantly increased the cost of cultivation, placing additional financial pressure on farmers. He further expressed dissatisfaction with the recent hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for kharif crops, describing it as inadequate to address the challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
Following the demonstration, the protesters marched from the ADC Office to Hargobind Nagar Chowk, where they burnt effigies symbolising the State and Central governments as a mark of protest. Several farmer leaders, including Gurpal Singh Pala, State Press Secretary of BKU (Doaba), Kulwinder Singh Kala, President of the Phagwara Circle and Harbhajan Singh Bajwa, State Vice-President of BKU (Doaba), were present during the programme.
