Farmers protest against Centre's policies at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Farmers and labourers from all over the country staged a protest at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday against the Centre's policies.

The Mazdoor-Kisan Sangharsh Rally was jointly organised by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU).

Farmers and labourers along with Asha, Anganwadi and MGNREGA workers from different states had reached the national capital to join the protest.

AIKS said: "Our question is to the Central government that two crore people were promised jobs, but we want to ask the government where those jobs have gone. And how many people have been given jobs. Today there is also a big issue of daily wage labourers in the country."

The protesters are demanding relief from inflation, a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), a minimum wage for all workers at Rs 26,000 per month and pension of Rs 10,000 per month.

Taking to Twitter, the CPI(M) said: "Ensure a minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month and a pension of Rs 10,000 for all workers. Contracts will not work. Withdraw the Agneepath Scheme."

CITU also tweeted: "The forest and land rights of Adivasis are being taken away and are being given to corporates. Farmers are not getting remunerative prices. While the demand for work under MGNREGA was continuously increasing, the government has further drastically reduced allocations for it to the tune of Rs 38,000 crore in the last two years."

The employees who came from West Bengal said in their demands that the dictatorial attacks on the government employees should be stopped.

The ASHA workers from Assam and Punjab discussed the problems of their respective states.

The streets of Central Delhi in and around Ramlila Maidan were full of protesters carrying flags, banners and posters in their hands. In view of this rally, traffic on several routes was diverted by the Delhi Traffic Police. Also, a large number of paramilitary forces, Delhi Police personnel and traffic policemen were deployed around the Ramlila Maidan.