New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday asked political parties to refrain from election campaigning, terming it an "anti-farmer conspiracy", ahead of its September 5 rally in Muzaffarnagar.

The umbrella body of protesting farmer unions said in a statement that election campaigning would "distract and divert attention from the crucial struggle farmers have been waging for months now".

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"Usually, election-related campaigning and propaganda begins a couple of months before election dates, whereas we are finding an unusual level of activity from different parties who are already getting into election mode for no good reason.

"We can only conclude that this is an anti-farmer conspiracy, to distract and divert attention from the crucial struggle farmers have been waging for months now. We ask them to desist from their election campaigning, if they are truly supportive of the farmers' struggle," SKM said.

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It said farmers were intensifying their protest against leaders of the BJP and its allied parties as they delivered ultimatums to Haryana and Himachal Pradesh chief ministers regarding some upcoming programs.

"Farmers of Rewari in Haryana have warned the chief minister from coming to a scheduled event in Rewari on the 5th of September, and have stated that farmers will stage a black flag protest for sure. In Himachal Pradesh, farmers have warned CM Jairam Thakur against participation in an upcoming event in Shillai unless their demands are met," the SKM said.

The SKM will organise a "Kisan Mahapanchayat" in Muzaffarnagar on September 5, the preparations for which are in the final stages, it added.

"It is expected that lakhs of farmers will take part in the Kisan Mahapanchayat that will inaugurate Mission Uttar Pradesh of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, on 5th of September in the city's GIC Ground," SKM said.

The farmers' body said that mobilisation meetings have taken place in several places across UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

"Farmer unions are mobilising their respective cadre with great enthusiasm for this joint event. Preparatory meetings themselves have already given a glimpse of the mammoth show that is being planned for the 5th of September," it said.

Condemning the baton-charge and use of water cannon on farmers in Punjab's Moga on Thursday, the SKM demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against farmers and strong action against the police.

Police on Thursday used batons and a water cannon to disperse a group of farmers who allegedly tried to force their way inside the venue of an event of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab's Moga, which was being addressed by its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The police claimed that some of the protesters scuffled with them, broke barricades and hurled stones in a bid to force their way inside the venue in Moga's grain market which is near a national highway.

The SKM also said that if cases against farmers were not withdrawn by September 8, an action plan for a larger protest will be decided on the day after a meeting among the protesting farmer unions.

The farmers' protest against the three contentious laws has completed over nine months since they first arrived at the Delhi borders. The farmers have been demanding the repeal of the laws which they are afraid will do away with the MSP system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government that has been projecting the laws as major agricultural reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)