Samajwadi Party to organise protests across UP against farm, labour bills

The Samajwadi Party will organise a state-wide protest against farm sector and labour reform bills on Friday that they term as "harmful" and submit memoranda to the Governor through respective district magistrates.

"On the instructions of Samajwadi Party National President and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the party will protest against farm sector and labour reform bills which hurt the interest of farmers and workers. During the state-wide protests, a memoranda will be sent to the Governor through respective DMs", party chief spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said on Thursday.

"In the farm bills, the Centre has ignored the interests of farmers and it will make the farmer become a labourer instead of owning his land. Due to the abolition of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees and not getting the minimum support price (MSP) in the Bills, the farmer will now be forced to sell his crop at one-off prices," he said.

The removal of wheat and paddy crops from the Essential Commodities Act, will compel the farmer to sell his crop on the terms of big agents and business houses, he said, adding that SP will not let the voice of the farmers be suppressed.

The labour laws passed by Parliament will severely affect the interests of workers, Chowdhury said, adding that it will empower industries with 300 employees to retrench whenever they want.

"This will increase the feeling of insecurity among the workers and they will not be able to raise their legitimate demand. They will remain bonded labourers of industrialists", Chowdhury said.

There is a lot of anger against the BJP government for these "anti-people" laws due to which farmers are demonstrating everywhere, he added.