Farmers gather in Hisar flouting Covid-19 norms, Rakesh Tikait says ‘will sit here until 2024’

New Delhi: Flouting Covid-19 norms, thousands of farmers gathered in Hisar on Monday to protest the police action against them, earlier this month.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait led the huge group of farmers and put a demand legal action against Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Hisar and other officials who allegedly lathi charged them and filed FIRs against hundreds of farmers after a clash between farmers and police on May 16.

‘Can camp here until 2024, it’s pleasant here’, says Tikait

Rakesh Tikait also went on to say that the farmers will not leave Hisar in Haryana until farm laws are repealed. Tikait said that the farmers have liked the place and do not mind camping there until 2024.

BKU leader said, “Badhiya jagah hain yeh (this is a nice place), the weather is pleasant here, farmers would not have any problem sitting here until June, or July 2024.

District administration stepped up security in the area after the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) called to intensify protests from May 26, which marks six months of protests of farmers against the three central agricultural laws.

Haryana: Farmers gather in large numbers in Hisar, in protest against the clash between Police and them on 16th May. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait also present here. pic.twitter.com/wHRXe9Uflb

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021

Amid a statewide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, the farmers marched from Krantiman Park towards the Commissioner’s Office.

Violence broke out on May 16 after a group of farmers, protesting against the farm laws, attempted to tried to march towards a venue where Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar was to inaugurate a Covid-19 hospital. To stop and disperse the farmers, police used tear gas shells. Following this, an altercation occurred between police and farmers.

The farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the farm laws passed by the Centre.

Earlier, the Haryana CM had urged farmers to suspend their protest during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, claiming that their movements to and from dharna sites were spreading the infection in villages.

Khattar had said, “In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, I once again appeal to the farmer leaders to suspend their protests. The only goal for all of us should be to save the lives of people in the time of this crisis. There is nothing more than human life.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday had also extended its support to the call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to observe a countrywide protest on May 26 and observe it as a “Black Day For Democracy”.

In a tweet, AAP leader Raghav Chadha urged the Centre to immediately resume talks with the farmers and accede to their demands.