Demanding a hike in sugarcane prices and timely clearance of pending cane dues, a large number of farmers , including women, attended a mahapanchayat organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) at the Ganna Sansthan in Lucknow on Friday.
The gathering turned into a platform for farmers to highlight the widening gap between the cost of cultivation and returns from agriculture, with BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait accusing the BJP government of failing to safeguard farmers’ interests. In a politically charged speech, Tikait accused the BJP government of wrongdoing involving paddy procurement, sugarcane, donations and elections. They have stolen from paddy farmers, sugarcane farmers, temples, donations and even votes. They are being caught, but the judge is theirs, the lawyer is theirs, and so are the police and the investigating officer.
He said, “These people are indulging in theft. BKU youth wing president Gaurav Tikait said that an increase in sugarcane prices was necessary to help growers cope with rising expenses and ensure that cultivation remained economically viable.
