Farmers issue Voters' Whip to Oppn MPs, ask them to raise their issues

Protesting farmers Friday issued a "Voters' Whip" to Opposition MPs through a letter, asking them to be present in parliament on all days of the Monsoon Session and let no business transact till "the Union Government accedes to the farmers' demands on the floor of the Houses".

They have asked the MPs to not stage a walkout and also return to the House even if they are suspended or removed so that the government does not "push through its business unhindered".

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which is spearheading the protest against the Centre's three new agri-marketing laws, told the MPs the "Voters' Whip" overrides their party whips.

"If you and your party defy this Voters' Whip, the farmers of India will be compelled to oppose you on every public stage just as we oppose the leaders, MLAs, MPs of the BJP and its allies," the SKM said.

The letter will be handed or sent to the MPs on Saturday as a precursor to the farmers' protest outside parliament starting July 22, the SKM said.

The agitating farmers have "directed" the MPs to raise their issues and ensure: "That you must, without fail, be present in the parliament for all the days of the Monsoon session beginning 19th of July 2021; That you and your party must, without break, raise the farmers' issues and support the above mentioned demands of farmers' movement on the floor of the house."

It has demanded the MPs to not let "any other business" to be transacted in the House till "the Union Government accedes to the farmers' demands on the floor of the Houses".

"That you or any other member of your party must not stage a 'walk out' that enables the ruling party to push through its business unhindered, that you must return to the House even if suspended or removed from the House," it demanded.

The farmers' body has planned that around 200 farmers will hold protests outside parliament every day during the Monsoon Session which would conclude on August 13.

It also announced on Friday to issue I-cards to the farmers who will be protesting outside parliament.

"Excitement continues to mount about Parliament protest march from July 22, ID card of marchers to be issued by SKM. A huge contingent of women farmers of Krantikari Kisan Union has joined the protesters at Singhu border," the SKM said in the statement.

Besides Punjab and Haryana, a large number of farmers from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan will participate in the protest, the SKM said.

Thousands of farmers from across the country have been agitating at the Delhi borders against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government, which has been projecting the laws at major agricultural reforms, have failed to break the deadlock.