Watch: Stage on which farmer leader Tikait was standing collapses

New Delhi, Feb 03: The stage on which the Bharatiya Kisan Union (A) leader Rakesh Tikait and other farmer-leaders were standing collapsed at Jind, Haryana.

The incident took place when a Mahapanchayat was underway in Jind.

The Kandela khap, which had spearheaded a farmers' agitation in Haryana nearly two decades ago, has lent its support to farmers against the new farm laws.

Several other khaps too are backing the agitation.

Tekram Kandela said at Wednesday's event, issues including the demand to repeal the farm laws and a legal guarantee of the minimum support price will be taken up.

"The Centre should talk to farmers and immediately find a resolution as thousands of farmers have been holding the agitation for months now. The prime minister should himself talk to the farmers to find an early solution," Kandela said.

Meanwhile, Haryana BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni reached Surewala Chowk in Hisar district''s Uklana and addressed a group of farmers, where he sought their support for the countrywide "chakka jam" called by farmer unions on February 6.

Farmer unions on Monday announced to block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the Internet ban in areas near their agitation sites and the alleged harassment meted out to them by the authorities.

Chaduni also criticised the government's move of parking buses to seal the main entry points, putting up multi-layer barricades and checkpoints at the Delhi's Ghazipur border, the new focal point of the farmers' agitation.

He said the farmers' agitation will continue till the time the government does not withdraw the farm laws.