With farm laws scrapped, all eyes on Kisan Mahapanchayat at Lucknow

Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee, compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the nearly year-long agitation against the new farm laws and withdrawal of cases against them are likely to figure prominently at the 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' here on Monday.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the agricultural reforms being touted by the NDA government were 'false' and that they would not benefit the farmers.

Exhorting the farmers to take part in the Mahapanchayat in large numbers, Tikait said that payment of compensation to the kin of farmers who have lost their lives during the protests, and withdrawal of all criminal cases lodged against them at different places would be discussed at length in the meeting.

A local BKU leader here said that farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western UP, would attend the Mahapanchayat.

Also Read | Protests to continue till farm laws are officially repealed: SKM

"It will be a massive meeting....we are expecting more than one lakh farmers to attend the same," the leader said.

Ajay Kumar Mishra's continuance as Union minister could also be discussed during the meet, the leader added. Mishra's son, Ashish, was accused of mowing down four farmers with his vehicle at a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri last month.

Although the farmer leaders have maintained all along that their agitation was 'apolitical', the opposition parties have extended full support to the protests and also attended their meetings without sharing the stage with them.

BJP leaders here refused to comment on the Mahapanchayat saying that their main demand (repeal of the farm laws) had been accepted and that there was now no justification for continuing the agitation.

Check out latest DH videos here