An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) delegation will meet Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel today to raise farmers’ issues and demands, party leaders announced.
Speaking to the media, AAP Gujarat President Isudan Gadhvi said that the BJP government has been consistently doing injustice to farmers, prompting AAP to launch a statewide agitation.
“Following our protests, the state government was forced to officially abolish the Kadada practice,” he said.
Gadhvi highlighted that AAP has organised nine 'Kisan Mahapanchayats' across the state and conducted 'Kisan Nyay Panchayats' in over 8,000 villages spanning North Gujarat, Central Gujarat, and Saurashtra.
To press for the party’s 10-point charter of farmers’ demands, a signature campaign was carried out, during which party teams visited villages and talukas to collect endorsements. Over 80,000 farmers signed the petition in support of the 10 demands.
Isudan Gadhvi outlined the 10-point charter as follows:
- The “price-cutting practice” must be immediately abolished in all APMC markets, and violators should face jail.
- Farmers should not be forced to transport their produce to godowns or factories instead of APMC markets.
- Farmers and sharecroppers affected by unseasonal rains should be compensated ₹50,000 per hectare, with payments within one month, similar to Punjab.
- Dairy farmers should receive the price difference from all dairy unions directly into their bank accounts on time.
- Farmers should be provided 12 hours of free electricity daily.
- Police cases filed against farmers during the Haddad and Sabar Dairy agitations should be withdrawn, and imprisoned farmers released immediately.
- The government should procure all crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
- Adequate and timely availability of fertilisers should be ensured.
- Pending payments to sugarcane farmers by sugar mills should be cleared, and closed sugar mills restarted.
- Cotton procurement by the CCI should begin from October 1 instead of December.
Gadhvi said that AAP has sought an appointment with the Chief Minister regarding these demands and that he, along with party MLAs and the delegation, will meet the Chief Minister today at 12 noon to submit a formal representation. He also warned that if the BJP fails to act on these demands, the Aam Aadmi Party will launch a statewide agitation.