Congress among 12 opposition parties to support SKM’s May 26 country-wide protest

The opposition parties asked the Central government to ‘stop being obdurate and immediately resume talks with the SKM

The Congress party on Sunday announced support for the country-wide protest call by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is a coalition of over 40 Indian farmers’ unions, marking six months of farmer protests against three new farm laws introduced by the BJP-led Central government last year.

“We extend our support to the call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to observe a countrywide protest day on May 26, marking the completion of six months of the heroic peaceful Kisan struggle,” the party said, through a tweet on its official handle.

The party also posted a joint statement by 12 major opposition parties on the demand of protesting farmers.

The joint statement said, “We extend our support to the call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to observe a countrywide protest day on May 26, marking the completion of six months of the heroic peaceful Kisan struggle.”

It further added, “On May 12, 2021, we had jointly written to Prime Minister Modi, saying the following: Repeal farm laws to protect lakhs of our annadatas becoming victims of the pandemic, so that they can continue to produce food to feed the Indian people.”

“We demand the immediate repeal of the farm laws and the legal entitlement to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of C2+50 per cent as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission,” the statement read.

The opposition parties asked the Central government to ‘stop being obdurate and immediately resume talks with the SKM on these lines’, referring to the demands stated above.

The signatories of the joint statement included Sonia Gandhi (INC), HD Deve Gowda (JD-S), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Uddhav Thackeray (SS), MK Stalin (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Farooq Abdullah (JKPA), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), D Raja (CPI) and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M).