In anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections expected to be announced next month, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal emphasized that the Central Government should promptly address the demands of farmers before the model code of conduct comes into effect. Dallewal made these remarks ahead of a scheduled meeting with a panel of Union ministers on Sunday.
The meeting, set to take place at 6 pm, will involve three Union ministers and farmer leaders discussing key demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and the waiver of farm debts. This comes amid an ongoing protest by thousands of farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border, facing barricades and a significant presence of security personnel.
Previous meetings between the ministers and farmer leaders on February 8, 12, and 15 have failed to reach conclusive agreements. Dallewal expressed the urgency of the situation, stating, “We want to tell the government that it should avoid the policy of dilly-dallying.”
He warned that if the government continues to postpone decisions until the model code of conduct is imposed, the farmers are not willing to end their protest.
“The government should find a solution to our demands before the code of conduct comes into force,” Dallewal emphasized, urging swift action from the authorities. The meeting will include Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation, now in its sixth day, involves farmers demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, and the withdrawal of police cases.
