Farmers' groups meet at 'zero point', claim protest forced UP govt to release protesters

Noida, Dec 4 (PTI) Agitating farmers' groups met on Wednesday at the 'zero point' on the Yamuna Expressway and claimed their protest had forced the Uttar Pradesh government to release all the protesters arrested a day earlier from their dharna site on the Delhi-Noida border.

After being released, the farmers joined the 'kisan mahapanchayat' at the 'zero point' where it was decided to continue the protest till their demands were met. A decision will be taken on Thursday on shifting the site of protest, farmer leaders said.

'Zero point' refers to a location at the convergence point of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway in Gautam Buddh Nagar district's Greater Noida city.

Bharatiya Kisan Union-Tikait (BKU-Tikait) leader Naresh Tikait, who set off from Muzaffarnagar to participate in the mahapanchayat, was stopped at Bhaunwara Kala. Organisation spokesperson Rakesh Tikait was detained at Tappal in Aligarh and released in the evening.

Rakesh Tikait's son Gaurav Tikait addressed the mahapanchayat.

In a statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) congratulated the farmers on conducting the mahapanchayat and said they forced the Yogi Adityanath government to release all 160 arrested farmers.

Farmers from Uttar Pradesh have been protesting against the administration and the local authorities, demanding compensation and other benefits for their land acquired by the state government in the past.

They started a 'Delhi Chalo' march on Monday but were stopped by the police after which they sat on a dharna at the Dalit Prerna Sthal. However, the police cracked down on the protesters the following day.

Farmer leader Sunil Fauji said more than 160 farmers were arrested on Tuesday.

After the farmers' arrest, Rakesh Tikait had called the mahapanchayat.

A video was circulated on social media claiming that Rakesh Tikait tried to dodge the police by taking a lift in a canter to reach the mahapanchayat venue but the vehicle was stopped by the cops.

A large number of farmers from Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bijnor and Meerut had reached reached the mahapanchayat venue.

Police personnel in large numbers were deployed at the site.

The SKM, meanwhile said the mahapnchayat decided to continue the dharna till all farmers' demands were achieved.

"This is a victory of democracy over autocracy under the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government. The collective and timely mass action in the form of mahapanchayat that displayed the collective strength and determination of the farmers of Uttar Pradesh is an inspiration to the people across the country," it said.

It also slammed the Uttar Pradesh Police for "severely violating" the fundamental rights of Rakesh Tikait.

"The united farmers' movement will take such authoritarian tendencies of the Yogi Adityanath government of UP with due seriousness and fight tooth and nail," the SKM added. PTI COR AO SZM SZM