Farmers urge Biden to ask Modi to repeal farm laws

He also urged US President Joe Biden to focus on concerns of the Indian farmers during his meeting with Modi

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with him, farmers' groups have urged US President Joe Biden to raise the issue of repeal of three farm laws.

Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait made the demand saying that more than 700 farmers had died during the last 10 months of protests on the borders of the national capital.

“Dear @POTUS, we Indian Farmers are protesting against 3 farm laws brought by PM Modi's govt. 700 farmers have died in the last 11 months protesting. These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi,” Tikait said.

Earlier, Tikait had appealed to Indians living in the US to hold a protest during Modi's visit to New York.

The appeal came amid a Bharat Bandh call given by farmers' organisations on September 27 to mark the completion of 10 months of their protests against the three farm laws.

Read | Farmers are united, BJP is trying to divide them into big and small: Rakesh Tikait

The farmers have urged government and private offices, educational institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments to observe a shutdown on Monday.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at three sites – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- on the borders of Delhi since November last year under the banner of Samyuka Kisan Morcha (SKM), demanding repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price of crops.

The SKM has urged all political parties and state governments to support the 'Bharat Bandh' and stand with the farmers in their “quest to defend principles of democracy and federalism”.

At the same time, the farmers' groups reiterated their stand of not allowing representatives of political parties to share their stage.