Swaraj Samwad tells farmers to protest Bill

Chandigarh, July 1

Terming the Land Acquisition Bill of the NDA government as a land-grabbing Bill, Swaraj Samwad, breakaway group of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has called upon farmers of the region to join their movement for the protection of their land.

Prof Manjit Singh, convener, state campaign committee for the Yogendra Yadav-led group, said the movement called ‘Jai Kisan Andolan’ was expanded to include the farmers of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir after many of them voluntarily joined their campaign.

“We have received an overwhelming response from farmers for taking part in a 500-km-long march to Parliament. It will start on August 1 from Thikriwala village in Barnala. The 10-day-long march, before culminating into a massive gathering of farmers at Delhi on August 10, will pass through four states — Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan,” he said.

He said the “andolan”, while opposing the passage of the Land Acquisition Act in the present form, was also demanding legislation on the minimum income guarantee for farmers, revised and universal crop insurance at nominal premium and implementation of debt relief measures. — TNS