4th Kisan Union withdraws from the protests against farm laws

Cracks between the farm unions continue to widen in the aftermath of the violent protests on Republic Day as another union has decided to pull out off the ongoing agitation against the three farm laws. Joining the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) and BKU (Lok Shakti) who withdrew from the protests on Wednesday, the Kisan Mahapanchayat has now decided to call off its agitation against the farm laws stating that it cannot be part of any protests that turn violent. The development comes after the tractor rally planned by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha took a violent turn on Republic Day as more than 300 Delhi Police personnel sustained injuries.

“We had disassociated ourselves from Samyukt Kisan Morcha on January 21 but were supporting the protest. Now, we’ll support the movement after analysing every step. We’ve decided to vacate the protest site at Shahjahanpur,” Kisan Mahapanchayat’s National President Rampal Jat said in a statement on Thursday.

The development comes a day after three farm unions detached from the ongoing protests against the three farm laws. While announcing its withdrawal from the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha led the protest, VM Singh, the convenor of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan referred to BKU’s Rakesh Tikait and said that he “cannot continue the protest with those people (BKU) whose direction is different”. While addressing a press conference, VM Singh said that he had checked the routes with the Superintendent of Police (SP) for the Republic Day tractor rally but Rakesh Tikait wanted routes that led to Red Fort.