Kejriwal and Mann to address Farmers’ Mahapanchayat in Gujarat

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to address a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district on October 31, the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The event, announced by senior AAP leader Gopal Rai, is planned as a show of solidarity with farmers in Gujarat who are protesting against the state’s agricultural marketing system, known as the Karda system. The party alleges that the BJP-led state government has responded to peaceful protests with a brutal crackdown, including lathi charges, tear gas, and the imprisonment of farmers.

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Gopal Rai stated that during their visit, Kejriwal and Mann will meet with the families of farmers who have been jailed and will chart the future course of the movement. The AAP has demanded the abolition of the Karda system, which they described as exploitative, and the implementation of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The party claims that the agitation began on October 10 and that state authorities have since used forceful measures to suppress it, including turning protest sites into “cantonment zones” and arresting AAP leaders. Gopal Rai alleged that 69 people remained in jail, having spent the Diwali festival behind bars.