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Another farmer group ends protest against new laws

January 28, 2021 14:14 IST

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) in New Delhi on Thursday announced it was ending its protest against the new central farm laws.

IMAGE: Police uses tear gas to disperse protesting farmers who were attempting to break barricades at Ghazipur border during their 'tractor march' on Republic Day in New Delhi. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo

BKU (Lok Shakti) chief Sheoraj Singh made the announcement during a press conference in Noida, a day after two other farmers' union ended their stir.

"The protest has been called off," BKU (Lok Shakti) spokesperson Shailesh Kumar Giri told PTI.

 

The farmers' union had been camping at the Dalit Prerna Sthal since December 2, demanding withdrawal of the three new farm laws, legalisation of minimum support price for crops and implementation of the recommendation of Swaminathan Committee's report.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding rollback of the 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.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

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