Farmers Protest Against Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Fight With Police

Farmers on Wednesday scuffled with police personnel during a protest against Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's visit to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of different development initiatives.

Initially, the farmers protested at the ''mandi''. Later, they managed to reach the helipad where Mr Dhami's helicopter was supposed to land.

Police personnel controlled the protesters with great difficulty.

Mr Dhami came here on the occasion of the birthday of BJP MLA and his friend Rajesh Shukla to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development initiatives worth Rs 105 crore.

Farmer leader Devendra Singh Virk said that the BJP government has adopted an attitude of ''Hitlershahi'' (dictatorship) towards the farmers and is not bothered about them.

The farmers will continue to strongly oppose the BJP's programmes like this, he said.

The farmers have been protesting against BJP leaders and their programmes over the Centre's three farm laws.

The three laws -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 -- were passed by Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the ''mandi'' and the minimum support price procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates. The government, however, has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.