Leaders of as many as 12 major opposition parties have backed the call for a nationwide protest given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the farmers’ union spearheading the agitation against Centre’s three farm laws.

The SKM, a union of 40 farmers’ outfits, had issued a call for ‘black day’ to mark six months of the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws.

“We extend our support to the call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to observe a countrywide protest day on May 26 marking the completion of six months of the heroic peaceful Kisan struggle,” said the joint statement by opposition parties.

Signatories of joint statement

The joint statement signed by Congress acting president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena), Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin (DMK) and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren (JMM).

Other signatories include former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah (NC), former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, D Raja of CPI and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI-M.

‘Repeal of farm laws, legal guarantee of MSP’

The joint statement demands the repeal of the three new farm laws. Citing a letter written by opposition leaders to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, the statement says the Centre must repeal farm laws to “protect lakhs of our annadatas becoming victims of the pandemic”.

In addition to the immediate repeal of the farm laws, the opposition leaders also demanded legal guarantees for MSP (minimum support price) of C2+50 per cent as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

“The Central Government must stop being obdurate and immediately resume talks with the SKM on these lines,” said the joint statement issued on Sunday.