Farmers to campaign for MSP in Karnataka from Friday

Stepping up their agitation, farmers' groups protesting against the three farm laws will launch a nationwide campaign for MSP for crops from Karnataka on Friday.

Addressing a press conference to outline plans to sustain the agitation, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will also campaign against the BJP in poll-bound states of West Bengal and Kerala, beginning with a farmers' rally in Kolkata on March 12.

“The SKM will put out a call to the public to punish the anti-farmer, anti-poor policies of the BJP,” Darshan Pal, leader of the SKM, said.

The farmers will start the 'MSP Dilao Abhiyan' from Karnataka on Friday asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure minimum support price for crops. The campaign would then move to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and gradually cover the entire country, Pal said.

Farmers will block the entire length of the Western Peripheral Expressway or Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on March 6, when the agitation at Delhi borders completes 100 days.

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Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav said March 6 would also be observed as “black flag day” and urged those supporting the farmers across the country to unfurl black flags or wear black ribbons on their clothes.

On March 15, farm unions will support the call of ten Central trade unions to protest against privatisation and corporatisation, Yadav said.

The agitating farmers will mark March 8 as Mahila Kisan Diwas with protest sites across the country witnessing greater participation of women, who will manage the stage and will be speakers.

“We invite women's organisations and others marking International Women's Day to do so in support of the farmers' movement and highlight the contributions of women farmers to the country,” Pal said.