Bijnor: If the ongoing protests over pending cane dues are anything to go by, sugarcane farmers of the district seem to have reached an inflection point. Agitated with the delay in payments, and baton charge by the police on the protesting farmers, as many as 20 farmer organisations under the aegis of Azad Kisan Union have come together announcing to hold a ‘mahapanchayat’ on February 12 to discuss the issue.The move comes despite the local administration intervening with assurances to address the concerns of agitating farmers. While the local administration has cleared that they have not been approached by the farmers to seek permission for holding the mahapanchayat, the farmers refuse to melt down the protests until payments are made. Talking to TOI, national convenor of Azad Kisan Union, Rajendra Singh, said, “We will hold our mahapanchayat on February 12 at any cost. This battle is not just confined to the sugarcane dues but has become a prestige issue for the farmers now.”On being asked about the ongoing matter, SDM Bijnor, Brajesh Singh, said, “Citing security concerns, Section 144 has been enforced here. So far, no permission has been sought by the farmers for the mahapanchayat.”The matter has taken a political hue with the RLD announcing its support for the mahapanchayat. RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh even met the agitating farmers on Friday. Addressing the farmers, Ram Mehar, state president of RLD’s Kisan Prakoshth, slammed the ruling party and alleged that the BJP government has failed to resolve the problems of the farmers. He said, “BJP had promised that the farmers would get their sugarcane dues cleared within 14 days of the delivery of crop to the mills, but the party has sidelined the farmer’s interest after coming into power. When farmers ask for their dues, they are thrashed badly. Farmers will give a bitter reply to the BJP in the upcoming polls.”Meanwhile, sources said that BJP’s district unit has sent videos of farmers being thrashed to the party high command stating that the matter has become very sensitive and needs attention, especially with the Lok Sabha polls round the corner.

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