New Delhi, India

The farmer unions Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner faction), which have been leading the ongoing protests, are staging a ‘rail roko’ (stop trains) in the state of Punjab between 12 noon and 4 pm (local time) on Thursday (Feb 15) as the protesters geared up to hold a meeting with the cabinet ministers.

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The protesters, who came from Rajpura and Patiala, sat on the rail tracks and blocked trains at Rajpura Railway Station.

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The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which is an umbrella body consisting of 37 farm unions, supported the ongoing protests in which the farmers have been demanding a minimum support price or MSP for their crops.

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These unions had majorly contributed to the protests that took place in 2020 and have participated in the current protests citing the “condemnable use of violence” against farmers.

Also Read: Here’s how Farmer Protest 2.0 differs from the 2020 agitation: Six points

The police action has been slammed by BKU (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan.

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“We stand with them in solidarity. To prove it, our supporters will hold rail roko (stop trains) at as many places as we can,” Kalan announced. He said that the organisation will block train tracks between 12 pm and 4 pm (local time) in Punjab on Thursday (Feb 15), one day before the farmers have planned a larger nationwide strike.

Ministers to hold a meeting with farmers

The farmers will be holding a meeting with the cabinet ministers in Chandigarh on Thursday (Feb 15) and the protesters are likely to remain peaceful and not try pushing their way through the barricades placed at various border points across the national capital.

After speaking with senior police officers in Chandigarh on Wednesday (Nov 14), farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and two other cabinet ministers Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai will be holding talks with representatives of the protesting farmers in Punjab at 5 pm (local time) on Thursday (Feb 15).

Goyal has been holding the Food and Public Distribution portfolio and Rai is the Minister of State for Home.

Watch: Farmers continue march to delhi after clashes on the shambhu border

"Based on a message we got last night and Union Minister Anurag Thakur's call for dialogue, we spoke to everyone in the movement and decided that we would remain peaceful today and not try and push further from where we were. A meeting has been called for 5 pm tomorrow and we will continue our peaceful protest. No action will be taken from our side until then," Pandher said.

Speaking to ANI, General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Sarvan Singh Pandher said, "We have a meeting with the ministers today, and we want PM Modi to have a conversation with them so that we can reach a solution for our demands. Or else, we should be allowed to protest peacefully in Delhi."

“We are going to attend the meeting in a completely positive mood today and we have full confidence that a positive solution will emerge from this meeting,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)