No ‘Chakka Jam’ in UP, farmers’ leaders hand over memorandum to DMs

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The farmers in Uttar Pradesh did not participate in the ‘Chakka Jam’ on Saturday following the appeal by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait.

However, Tikait had made it clear the members of BKU and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would hand over the memorandum of their demands to respective district magistrates in UP.

UP police and administration were all prepared to face any eventuality. The police administration had deployed around 144 PAC companies, six paramilitary companies, along with senior officers, at the state and national highways. All the activities were being recorded in the wake of the ‘Chakka Jam’ call by the farmer unions, said Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order in Uttar Pradesh.

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“Besides, there is foot patrolling, drones, and everything is being recorded,” said Kumar.

“We have been maintaining security since the farmers’ protest began,” Kumar further said, adding that the police department was getting support from farmer organisations and with their cooperation and efforts of the department no untoward incident has happened so far in UP.

Farmers’ unions announced a countrywide ‘Chakka Jam’ from 12 noon to 3 pm on Saturday as part of the ongoing protest. The farmers have been protesting at different borders in Delhi since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: 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.

In some of the western UP districts including Agra, a number of farmers’ leaders were put under house arrest following the reports of vandalism and unrest during the stir. Later, the protest ended when the joint delegation of BKU and SKM submitted a memorandum of demands addressed to the President of India to the district magistrate.