Hundreds of farmers from various states are protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar today amid tight security arrangements made by police to avoid any untoward incident. Some farmers have also been detained by the police.
Here are 10 big developments on Farmers Protest in Delhi
- The “mahapanchayat” has been called by some farmer organisations, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), over rising unemployment in the country. Some farmers were seen overturning the barricades put up by police, and raising slogans at Jantar Mantar.
- These farmer organisations have been demanding proper implementation of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. They have also sought the withdrawal of cases registered against the farmers during their year-long protest against the farm laws.
- Apart from Delhi police personnel, additional forces have been deployed at borders, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. All vehicles entering the national capital are being checked, causing traffic snarls in parts of the city. Police have detained some farmers who were protesting at Ghazipur border.
- Massive deployment was seen along railway tracks, bus stations and metro stations as well to avoid any untoward incident. The Delhi police have requested commuters to avoid some of the routes, officials said.
- Last week, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had organised a demonstration in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, “seeking justice” in the 2021 violence case. Eight people, including four farmers, were allegedly run over by Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish in Lakhimpur Kheri in October last year.
- On Sunday, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait was detained by the police at the Ghazipur border as he tried to enter the national capital to take part in the ‘mahapanchayat’.
- “This struggle will continue till the last breath. Won’t stop, won’t get tired, won’t bow down,” later Rakesh Tikait tweeted in Hindi after he was released and sent back. He alleged that the Delhi police were working at the behest of the centre.
- The farmer leader said he will be meeting the representatives of SKM on September 6 in Delhi to “strategise their future course of action”.
- Earlier, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan had camped at border points around Delhi, demanding the cancellation of centre’s three farm laws for almost a year.
- The contentious farm laws were withdrawn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021, saying the government could not convince protesting farmers about the benefits of reforms.
