Yogesh Sharma, the district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union said that Brijpal tried to take his life because he was not getting any solution to his problem.

Farmers’ Protest: A farmer protesting in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar during the protest put himself on fire on Wednesday near a dharna site following which he was rushed to a hospital after the fire was doused in time by those present around him.

The farmer, identified as Brijpal, received minor burn injuries on his face and was tended to immediately, said City Magistrate Vikash Kashyap who visited him at the hospital adding that the farmer had a loan-related issue which would be addressed soon.

Brijpal is a native of Jitpur Ghari village of Muzaffarnagar district.

Meanwhile, Yogesh Sharma, the district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) said that Brijpal tried to take his life because he was not getting any solution to his problem and was worried about getting a notice from the Punjab National Bank (PNB) despite never getting a loan from that bank.

BKU leader Naresh Tikait, addressing farmers at a gathering at the Muzaffarnagar collectorate, asked his supporters to participate in a tractor march on February 26 and 27 to condemn atrocities on their counterparts from Haryana and Punjab.

It is further reported that hundreds of farmers from across the districts staged a dharna at the collectorate in Muzaffarnagar. Naresh Tikait later gave a memorandum of the farmers’ demands to the district magistrate, to be sent to the President of India.

Farmers have been demanding a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, withdrawal of police cases against fellow agitators, justice for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence, and an increase in sugar cane prices.

Farmers staged a sit-in in Ghaziabad following the call of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait under the leadership of district president Bijendra Singh. Addressing the gathering, Bijendra Singh said that the farmers were forced to demonstrate by the government which is not paying heed to their demand of MSP.

Farmers there handed over a 15-point memorandum to the administration, addressed to President Droupadi Murmu.

The memorandum carried 15 demands of farmers, including a check on inflation, relaxation in railway fares for senior citizens, and free education.