Ex-Army chief may join House gherao

A day after his first political rally where he stressed the need to vote for pro-farmer parties, former Army chief V K Singh indicated on Friday that he may participate in a gherao of Parliament being planned by sugarcane farmers to protest against the sugar sector de-control suggested by a panel constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He lent his weight to the demand of Rashtriya Kisam Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS) convenor V M Singh, who addressed a press conference demanding that the government reject the de-control report and threatened a gherao of Parliament.

"In case the report is not rejected, canegrowers of northern states would gherao Parliament on December 4," V M Singh said in his letter to the PM released today.

V K Singh, who was present at the press conference, supported his call, saying it was "in the interest of farmers". He did not rule out participation in the agitation in December either.

"We will cross the bridge when we reach there... Whether that situation will come or not, we will see. I am quite sure the PM is competent enough to relook at the report," the former Army Chief said, when asked whether he would participate in the stir.

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