Farmers call for nationwide protests on May 26, demand repeal of Centre's farm laws

In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of as many as 12 opposition parties backed the Samyukuta Kisan Morcha's call for a nationwide protest on May 26. Among the signatories are five sitting chief ministers.

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.

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.