‘Not Right Time’: Farmers Postpone February 1 Rally to Parliament After Violence in Delhi

Earlier issuing a statement, Balbir Singh Rajewal of the BKU said the agitation will continue until the government repeals these laws.

New Delhi: Reacting to the violent tractor rally that claimed one life and injured many, the Bhartiya Kisan Union on Wednesday decided to postpone the scheduled rally to Parliament on February 1. Issuing a statement, BKU leader Balbir S Rajewal said the union will not hold any rally to Parliament, rather it will hold public rallies across India on Martyrs’ Day.

“On Martyrs’ Day, we’ll hold public rallies across India on behalf of the farmers’ agitation. We will also keep a one-day fast. Our March to the Parliament on February 1 stands postponed for now due to this (yesterday’s violence),” Balbir S Rajewal said.

Earlier, Balbir Singh Rajewal had said that the Sansad March would be undertaken on foot, and would only be the beginning of programmes planned during the upcoming session of Parliament.

The BKU along with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had earlier announced that they will hold march towards Parliament from different locations on February 1 when the annual Union Budget is scheduled to be presented.

“We will march towards Parliament on foot from different locations on the Budget day on February 1. The farmers who have come for the tractor parade will not go back and will join the protest. The agitation will continue till our demands met. Our stand remains the same,” Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union had said.

Earlier issuing a statement, Balbir Singh Rajewal of the BKU said the agitation will continue until the government repeals these laws.

The SKM had also announced a Sansad march to Parliament on February 1, the day when the Union Budget will be presented, as the next phase of its protest, keeping up the momentum from Republic Day.

For over 58 days now, the farmers are demanding that three new agricultural reform laws be repealed, and that a new law be enacted to guarantee remunerative prices for farm produce.