Repeal farm laws or will march to Parliament with 4 mn tractors: Tikait

Issuing a threat to the Central Government, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader, Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday said if the three laws are not repealed, the farmers will march to the Parliament on 40 lakh tractors.

Speaking at a farmers' rally in Sikar in Rajasthan, Tikait said, "Our next call will be for a march to Parliament. We will tell them before marching. This time it won't be just 4 lakh tractors but 40 lakh tractors will go there if farm laws are not taken back."

Tikait also demanded that a new law should be enacted ensuring minimum support price for farmers.

On February 18 at a maha panchayat at Kharak Punia in Haryana, Tikait said the protesting farmers will take the agitation to the poll-bound West Bengal if the Centre does not concur with their demands against the new farm laws.

He again reiterated the claim the next day and said "Talks are going on taking out a tractor rally to West Bengal."

Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws on January 26. Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the protestors. A total of 22 FIRs have been filed by the Delhi Police with one of them mentioning the incident at ITO where a farmer died after his tractor overturned.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.