30,000 protesting farmers reach Mumbai, plan to gherao Vidhan Sabha tomorrow
Mumbai, Mar 11 (IBNS): More than 30,000 farmers from Thane area of Maharashtra have reached Mumbai on Sunday, a day ahead of their planned move to gherao the Vidhan Sabha to demand for complete waiver of loans and electricity bills by the state government, media reports said.
The agitating farmers are currently heading towards the KJ Somaiya Ground in Sion.
The Mumbai Police on Sunday said they have made elaborate security arrangements for the march and the farmers' plan to encircle the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.
The protesting farmers are reportedly members of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist.
Local reports said that the farmers, most of them wearing red caps and holding up flags with the sickle and hammer symbol, have covered 30km on foot every day to reach Mumbai.
They started the march on Friday.
The farmers say their main demand is for a waiver of all loans and the implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which says farmers should be paid one and a half times the cost of production for what they produce and the MSP's should be fixed keeping this in mind, reported NDTV.
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the farmers should get their 'rightful due' from the BJP-led state government.
"Farmers marching into Mumbai. To ensure that the BJP govt does not deceive them again. They should get their rightful due. #KisanLongMarch," Yechury tweeted.
Image: AIKS Twitter page
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