Shimla, July 14 -- The farmer organisations in Himachal Pradesh have strongly opposed the ongoing eviction drive in forest areas, particularly the cutting of apple orchards in Kotkhai and surrounding villages, terming the action as "legally flawed" and "anti-farmer."

In a press conference held in Shimla on Monday, the Himachal Kisan Sabha and the Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh demanded an immediate halt to the felling of apple trees and called for proper demarcation of land instead of mass clearances.

Rakesh Singha of the Himachal Kisan Sabha stated that the current actions being carried out under the Himachal Pradesh High Court's orders violate both the constitutional rights of farmers and established legal procedures.

"The apple trees be...