News Analysis India

Tag: Farm Bills

  • Heavy traffic jams choke Delhi-NCR borders due to ‘Bharat bandh’ protest by farmers

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The ‘Bharat Bandh’ protest by farmers’ unions against the Centre’s three agriculture bills on Monday disrupted traffic movement across the national capital and its borders with vehicles queuing up for more than two kilometres as farmers blocked the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

    Farmers also gathered at the Delhi Noida flyway and the Gurugram-Delhi border was heavily choked with hundreds of vehicles stuck on the road due to checking by police.

    Due to heavy traffic jams, the Delhi Traffic Police closed several routes and made diversions to facilitate commuters.

    ALSO READ: Bharat Bandh: Rahul Gandhi voices support for farmers, slams government as ‘exploitative’ Keeping in mind the Red Fort incident on January 26, Delhi Traffic Police closed traffic movement on Red Fort including both carriageways Chhatta Rail and Subhash Nagar. Besides, traffic movement is closed on both carraigeways at the Dhansa border.

    “Due to the Bharat bandh protest, the local police closed the following points: Netaji Subhash Marg: both carriageways with Jersey barriers at Chhatta rail junction, Netaji Subhash Marg carriageway (Red Fort–Dariyaganj) from T point, Subhash Park carriageway (Dariyaganj –Red Fort) at khas cut near Kabutar Market,” said the traffic police.

    Ghazipur border was also closed for traffic from both sides due to the protest via NH 9 and NH 24. “Commuters wishing to commute to and from UP may use DND, Vikas Marg, Signature Bridge, Wazirabad etf. Traffic of NH 24 and NH 9 has been diverted on road number 56 to take Maharajpur road, Apsara, Bhopura borders from UP,” said police.

    The Bharat Bandh was started from 6 am and will continue till 4 am.

    “Since 6 in the morning, images of farmers groups keeping vigil on deserted highways and empty markets have been pouring in from all over the country. This response nails the lie of the government’s propaganda and shows how solidly the people of India stand with the farmers in their historic struggle,” said Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of 40 kisan unions.

  • Police’s request to reduce people gathering for Parliament protest has been declined: Farmer leader

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Sunday asked farmer unions to reduce the number of people who would gather in front of Parliament to protest against three agri laws from July 22, but it has been declined, a farm union leader said.

    “We informed police that every day 200 farmers will go to Parliament from the Singhu border during the Monsoon session.

    It will be a peaceful protest and protesters will have identification badges also,” Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh national president Shiv Kumar Kakka said.

    The Monsoon session of Parliament will start on Monday and is scheduled to conclude on August 13.

    Every detail about each protester will be given to police, including a demonstrator’s Aadhaar card and mobile phone number, he said.

    Police have offered an alternative place for the demonstration and have asked unions to reduce the number of protesters.

    ALSO READ | Opposition parties to give adjouarnment notice in Parliament over farmers’ issues: RSP leader Premachandran

    This request of the police has been declined by farmer leaders, Kakka said.

    The Delhi Police will give its reply on Monday and the timing of the protest will also be decided, he said.

    Farmers have been protesting against the central laws since November last year at Delhi border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

    The legislations were enacted in September last year.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions spearheading the stir against the central laws, has planned that around 200 farmers will protests outside Parliament every day during the period of the Monsoon session.

    A tractor parade in Delhi on January 26, that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal the, had dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

    The SKM had earlier said at a press conference that two days before the Monsoon session begins, a “chetavani patra” (warning letter) will be issued to all opposition MPs to protest the farm laws inside the House.

    Farmers agitating against the three farm laws claim that the legislations will do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

    Over 10 rounds of talks with the government, which has been projecting the laws at major agricultural reforms, have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.

  • Farmers’ stir: Rahul Gandhi appeals to people to join ‘Kisaan ke Liye Bole Bharat’ campaign

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday appealed to people to join the social media campaign ‘Kisaan Ke Liye Bole Bharat’ supporting the farmer protests. The campaign started at 10 am.

    “Peaceful protests are an integral part of our democracy. Our farmer brothers and sisters are receiving support from all across the country. You should also join along in support of them so that the anti-farmer laws are repealed. #kisaan_ke_liye_bole_bharat,” Gandhi tweeted.

    मोदी सरकार ने अपने पूँजीपति मित्रों के फ़ायदे के लिए देश के अन्नदाता के साथ विश्वासघात किया है।आंदोलन के माध्यम से किसान अपनी बात कह चुके हैं। अन्नदाताओं की आवाज़ उठाना और उनकी माँगों का समर्थन करना हम सब का कर्तव्य है।#किसान_के_लिए_बोले_भारत pic.twitter.com/3FYFTiNR1N
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 8, 2021

    He also shared a video on Twitter related to the campaign asking people to share their views on farmer protests via posts and videos on social media. The video claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is anti-farmers while Congress works towards their betterment. He said Congress will fight with the farmers to get the three contentious farm laws repealed.

    “The country is going to face a Champaran like tragedy once again. Then there was with British company the farmers had to fight with, now it is with Modi’s friends’ companies. But every farmer of the movement is a Satyagrahi who will continue to fight for his rights,” the Congress tweeted on January 3.

    The Congress party has time and again slammed the Union government over the farm laws. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi met with President Ram Nath Kovind to discuss the laws and the issues faced by protesting farmers.

    Farmers are protesting at the borders of Delhi since November 26 against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.