Ghaziabad: RLD members protest against lathi-charge on farmers

Members of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) today staged a protest at the district collectorate here for withdrawal of cases registered against farmers who were demanding compensation for their lands which were acquired for an affordable housing project.
On June 3, 58 farmers were arrested here after they clashed with the police during a protest following which the villagers had blocked the Delhi-Saharanpur highway.
SDM Loni Prem Singh Ranjan had said that the farmers had gheraoed the area on June 2 where construction vehicles were levelling the land for Avas Vikas housing scheme.
The farmers were demanding compensation of their acquired lands and were asking authorities to revise the rates.

The land was acquired by the state government for Avas Vikas Parishad in Mandola village.
A memorandum was handed over to Additional District Magistrate (Executive) Gyanendra Singh by the protesting RLD members today.

Addressing a gathering of party workers, All India general secretary of RLD, Trilok Tyagi alleged that the Yogi government is anti-farmer and trying to suppress their demands of compensation.
Referring to the incident, he said that farmers were brutally beaten up by the police and implicated in false criminal cases, adding all those cases must be expunged without any condition.
The RLD leader criticised the police action and expressed the party's deep concern about Mangu Singh Tyagi and Omveer Tyagi who had sustained severe injuries and were undergoing treatment at a hospital.

However, Singh said that a committee has been constituted to draft the demands of farmers and a report will be sent to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his perusal through administration.
Singh assured the delegates that administration will adopt sympathetic attitude towards farmers, in case they will co-operate with officials and will not obstruct the work.
Cases have been lodged against farmers who actively indulged in violence in which they pelted stones on police, damaged the vehicles and blocked the highway earlier this month. They were released on personal bonds later.
"No arrest will be made in case they adopt a positive attitude. The decision about land compensation rates will be decided by government that is why the demand charter will be forwarded to Chief Secretary's office in Lucknow," he added.