The Sambhal district administration in Uttar Pradesh has issued notices to six farmer leaders asking them to submit personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each, as a police report warned of breach of peace during the protest against the new farm laws, an official said on Thursday.
The six farmers who were served notices include Bharatiya Kisan Union (Asli) district president Rajpal Singh Yadav and farmer leaders Jaiveer Singh, Brahmachari Yadav, Satendra Yadav, Raudas and Veer Singh. They have been organising protests in the district over the Centre's three contentious farm legislations.
"We've got a report from the Hayatnagar police station that some persons are inciting farmers and there can be breach of peace, and they should be asked to fill personal bonds of Rs 50 lakh each," Subdivisional Magistrate Deependra Yadav said.
The farmers said the amount was too much, following which the police station in-charge gave another report and they were asked to submit personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each, according to Yadav.
The notices have been issued under Section 111 ((magistrate order against any person who is likely to commit breach of peace) of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the basis of a report submitted by police, the official said.
"We'll not fill the bonds come what may," BKU (Asli) leader Rajpal Singh Yadav said. "They can hang us or send us to jail. We're fighting for the rights of farmers."
BKU (Asli) division president Sanjeev Gandhi said none of them or their family members had signed on the bonds.
"We're doing peaceful protests, not any crime," he added.
