Farmers said land records of only those farmers have been seized who violated a 1973 government notification.

Sikh farmers from Kutch defend Modi govt

Sikh farmers from Kutch in Gujarat have now reached Delhi to defend their Chief Minister Narendra Modi.



There have been allegations that the state government had seized land documents of hundreds of farmers rehabilitated in the region in the 1960s, saying they were outsiders.



However, around 50 farmers, camping in Delhi now, dismissed allegations that the Gujarat government was being unjust to them.



Leader of the farmers' group Jugraj Singh said they continued to till the land allotted to them and no one was taking away their rights.



He also said the farmers had no plans to return to Punjab.



Actually, of the 784 farmers whose land documents have been seized by the Gujarat government, 153 are from Punjab, 88 from Gujarat and 543 from Rajasthan and Haryana.



Jugraj Singh said land records of only those farmers have been seized who violated a 1973 government notification.



The notification said land that was acquired at the time of the British for farming could not be sold off for any other purpose.



Around 550 farmers from Punjab and Haryana were rehabilitated in Kutch between 1964 and 1984.



Naturally, the support of the farmers will bring relief to Modi since the issue could have affected his relationship with Akali Dal leaders in Punjab.



- With inputs from Amitabh Sinha



