News Analysis India

Tag: Farmers Protest

  • ‘No question of closing the door on talks with government’: Samyukta Kisan Morcha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws said on Saturday that there was no question of closing the door on talks with the government.

    The farmer union’s statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told an all-party meeting earlier in the day that his government’s offer on agri laws made to the protesting farmers “still stands” and it was a “phone call away” for talks.

    The protesting farmer leaders observed ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary and held a day-long fast at various protest sites on Delhi borders.

    According to a release issued by Morcha leader Darshan Pal, “Farmers have come all the way to the doorsteps of Delhi to converse with their elected government and therefore, there is no question of the farmer organisations closing the door on talks with the government.”

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ protest: Union leaders observe day-long fast on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary

    The last meeting between representatives of protesting farmers and the Centre was held on January 22.

    The unions continue to seek repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the Morcha statement said.

    Prime Minister Modi told the all-party meeting that his government’s offer on agri laws made to protesting farmers “still stands” and it was a “phone call away” for talks, days after the violence during farmers’ tractor rally in the national capital on Republic Day.

    The Morcha also “condemned” alleged attempts of police to “weaken and destroy” the farmers movement.

    “It is clear that the police is encouraging various attacks on peaceful protesters. The continuous violence by police and BJP goons clearly shows the palpable fear within the government,” Pal claimed in the statement.

    The one-day fast was observed at all borders of Delhi and all over India.

    The farmers took a pledge to continue their movement peacefully, the statement said.

    Reports of farmers observing farmers in various parts of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and other states were received, it said.

    In Bihar, Sadbhavana Diwas was marked with long human chains in different districts of the state including Muzaffarpur and Nalanda, it added.

    ALSO WATCH:

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding the rollback of 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.

    The protest took a violent turn during the farmers’ tractor rally on January 26.

    Enacted in September 2020, the central government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and “mandi” (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporations.

    The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and ruled out a repeal of the laws.

  • Randeep Surjewala asks Haryana govt to immediately restore mobile internet services in state

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Condemning the Haryana government’s decision to stop mobile internet services in the state, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday demanded “immediate” resumption of services.

    The Haryana government on Friday suspended all mobile internet, SMS, and dongle services in 17 districts including Sonipat, Palwal, and Jhajjar till 5 pm on January 30. The voice calls, however, are exempted as earlier from the suspension.

    ​The districts under the fresh suspension order include Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari, and Sirsa.The suspension came after violence took place in the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day.

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ protest: Internet snapped at Delhi borders for two days

    Surjewala issued a release in which he said that the Khattar-Chautala government in Haryana has stopped the mobile internet services in the state with the intention to crush the farmers’ agitation.

    He said that during this Corona pandemic period, the persons working from home, school-college and university students, the traders and shopkeepers availing mobile banking services and the common people are inconvenienced by the move.

    “These days various examinations are going on and during such times disruption in mobile internet services has been putting the students appearing in examinations in distress,” the Congress leader said.

    ALSO WATCH:

    He said that the BJP-JJP Government has been “so engrossed in its evil designs to crush and discredit the farmers’ agitation that it seems to be least bothered about the grave inconvenience being caused to the common people on account of government’s wrong decisions.”

    “This government should not be under any illusion to treat the peacefully agitating farmers as a vulnerable lot and the persecution of farmers shall not be tolerated under any circumstances and the entire opposition and the people of the country are in rock solid support with the farmers,” he added. 

  • Arundhati Roy backs farmers, says new laws will break the backbone of agriculture sector

    By PTI
    PUNE: Eminent novelist and essayist Arundhati Roy on Saturday came out in support of the farmers who are agitating on Delhi borders, and said the new farm laws which they are opposing will help only the corporate sector.

    Speaking at Elgar Parishad, a conclave, Roy also slammed the BJP governments at the centre and in states over issues such as anti-conversion laws and lockdown.

    “It is very important for us to stand by the farmers,” the Man Booker award-winning writer said.

    “The new agriculture laws will break the backbone of the farm sector and give the control to the corporates,” she said, alleging that the Union government was trying to discredit the agitation.

    ​ALSO READ | Ghazipur border: Resolve grows stronger, farmers say movement not affected by January 26 incident

    Roy referred to arrests of several Left-leaning activists including Sudha Bharadwaj under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following the December 2017 Elgar Parishad in Pune.

    As in the the case of ongoing farmers’ movement, there were attempts to discredit the Elgar Parishad and the activists associated with it by terming them as `urban naxals’, she alleged.

    All the jailed activists should be released immediately, she demanded.

    “During the lockdown when lakhs of people lost their jobs, the wealth of industrialists grew by 35 per cent,” she charged.

    She also blasted the BJP-led Union government for announcing lockdown for coronavirus in March last year with only four hours’ notice, calling it an “ambush”.

    Criticizing the ordinances issued by BJP-ruled states to penalize `fraudulent’ religious conversions, Roy said many Muslim youths and families have been targeted under the garb of these laws.

    ALSO WATCH:

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of 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.

    The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

  • Uttarakhand cops identify 300 from state who took part in Red Fort violence

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Police has ‘identified’ at least 300 people from the hill state who were part of a mob that stormed the Red Fort and clashed with security personnel on January 26, said officials. 

    However, farmer leaders demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. President of Terai Kisan Mahasabha, Tejinder Singh Virk, who has been named in the FIR filed by Delhi Police, said, “The farmers protesting at Ghazipur border had no role in the events that unfolded in Delhi on Republic Day and there should be an inquiry to reveal the conspiracy. We are patriots and can lay down our lives for our country.”

    After violence by farmers on Republic Day in Delhi and rumours about a Uttarakhand farmer’s death, the government had issued an alert in the hill state. Later, it turned out that the farmer belongs to the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh adjacent to Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. 

    Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had held a high-level meeting with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Home Secretary, and other officials late on Tuesday evening following which Uttarakhand Police issued high alert in four districts — Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Haridwar, and Nainital.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – 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. 

    As farmers’ agitation continues in the Delhi-NCR region against newly framed farm laws, a village in Uttarakhand has banned entry of Bhartiya Janta Party members, workers, and leaders in the village. 

    Posters, banners and hoardings have come up in Malpuri village of Udham Singh Nagar district warning the ‘anti-farmer’ BJP workers and leaders. Farmers from the district have been actively supporting the Delhi-NCR protests. 

    In December 2020, state police had registered a case against over 1,000 farmers after they marched towards Delhi breaking the barricading by Udham Singh Nagar police. 

    The police had tried to stop the farmers by force responding to which the farmers defied the ban and went ahead. 

    The case had been registered under sections 147 (Rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty.), 353 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant.), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease danger¬ous to life.) and under 51 b of Disaster Management Act 2005.

    With 42% of agricultural produce, Udham Singh Nagar district leads among 13 districts of Uttarakhand in terms of agriculture and is also known as the food bowl of the state.  

  • Villagers bring food, water for Rakesh Tikait as BKU digs heels at Ghazipur border

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Villagers brought water in clay pots and home-made food for Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday in a show of support for the ongoing stir against the new farm laws, even as local authorities sent tankers of drinking water and mobile toilets at the protest site.

    Tikait urged the government to restore internet services, which have been banned by the Centre at protest sites on Delhi’s borders Saturday.

    A little boy from a Ghaziabad village reached the protest with a tiffin filled with homemade ‘parathas’ and pickle along with water.

    Some villagers from western Uttar Pradesh including places like Muzaffarnagar, Greater Noida, and Meerut also reached Ghazipur border with water and buttermilk in clay pots to feed the protestors.

    ALSO READ: Ghazipur border – Resolve grows stronger, farmers say movement not affected by January 26 incident

    Water and power supply at the protest site was disrupted by the local administration two days ago following an ultimatum to protestors to vacate the spot by Thursday night, prompting Tikait to say he would drink water only when farmers bring it from their villages but continue the stir.

    Overwhelmed by emotion, tears welled up the eyes of Tikait, who had proclaimed he would rather commit suicide than end the protest for farmers.

    “A conspiracy is being planned by the BJP to weaken the agitation of farmers,” Tikait claimed, a day after a BKU member filed a complaint at Kashambi police station here against two BJP MLAs for allegedly orchestrating violence at the protest site.

    A senior police official confirmed to PTI that the complaint was made against Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gujjar and Sahibabad MLA Sunil Sharma but FIR has not been lodged.

    ALSO READ: R-Day violence – Team of forensic experts visits Red Fort to collect evidence

    Tikait also urged the Centre to restore internet services at protest sites so that farmers could put forth their views and demands on social media.

    Besides sending water tankers, the Ghaziabad civic bodies have also re-stationed mobile toilets at the protest site on Saturday, as support for the farmers’ protest swelled with more villagers pouring in at the Delhi- Meerut highway in Ghazipur on the border with Uttar Pradesh.

    The Bharatiya Kisan Union-led protest against the Centre’s new farm laws here looked like it was going slim on Thursday but more protestors have joined the stir, following a mahapanchayat of farmers on Saturday in Muzaffarnagar, while supporters also joined in from Haryana and Rajasthan districts.

    “The movement was and is strong,” BKU’s Meerut Zone president Pawan Khatana told PTI.

    Khatana, who is at the demonstration site with BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, said there has been continuous support for the “peaceful protest” against the farmers’ demand for removal of the new agri laws.

    “This is not a political protest. Anybody who shares the ideology of the BKU and Rakesh Tikait are welcome here. But it is our appeal to those who do not wish to support the movement till the end that please do not come only to leave in between,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Violence on Republic Day scripted by BJP to discredit farmers’ movement – AAP

    Asked about estimated crowd size at the site, the farmer leader from western Uttar Pradesh said, “Farmers are coming in to show solidarity and leaving. It is not a stagnant crowd.”

    On Friday night, the BKU office-bearers had estimated a crowd of around 10,000 people at Ghazipur while the Ghaziabad police officials pegged it around 5,000 to 6,000.

    Heavy security deployment, including personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Rapid Action Force (RAF) in anti-riot gears and civil police, was made at the protest site.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police said to and fro movement on the National Highway 24 (Delhi-Meerut Expressway) has been closed.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of 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.

    The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

  • People in villages cried, couldn’t sleep when Rakesh Tikait wept: Farmers

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s emotional outburst over the dim situation of the ongoing farmers’ agitation touched such an emotional chord with people in villages in western Uttar Pradesh that many of them were also moved to tears and felt so restless they couldn’t sleep that night, say several farmers.

    On Thursday night, Tikait, son of legendary farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, wept at the Ghazipur border while talking about the farmers’ protests, whose image took a beating after the violent clashes on January 26.

    But his tears galvanised people, as on Saturday a large number of farmers and other supporters came to the protest site at the Delhi-UP border from not just his home state of Uttar Pradesh but from Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand as well to show solidarity with the movement.

    “Our village spent a sleepless night. How could we sleep? His gesture had touched our hearts. That night itself people started flocking towards the Ghazipur border protest site to offer water to Tikait ji. His tears had brought tears in our eyes too,” said Pankaj Pradhan, 52, head of Charaura village in Bulandshahr.

    ALSO READ: Violence on Republic Day scripted by BJP to discredit farmers’ movement – AAP

    Pradhan arrived at Ghazipur in the afternoon in a car along with seven others.

    “We were all awake, watching Tikait ji crying. Some were glued to TV sets, others on mobile phones, and we all felt restless. I was moved to tears too, and women too got emotional. His tears touched a chord with everyone and made them connect stronger to the movement,” Pradhan said.

    Gyanendra Singh, who also came to the protest venue from Bulandshahr on Saturday, said he too got emotionally overwhelmed after watching Tikait’s emotional outburst.

    “It was not his tears alone, it was tears of all of us struggling farmers. That’s why I decided to come here again. I had gone back after the Republic Day tractor parade, not because I had lost faith in the movement after the unfortunate incident on Tuesday but because we had come just for the rally,” he said.

    A multitude of green-and-white caps and flags of unions and tricolours planted on tractors, symbolic of the unions fronting the battle, dot the highway at Ghazipur.

    ALSO READ: R-Day violence – Team of forensic experts visits Red Fort to collect evidence

    On various tractors and camps, photos of legendary leaders such as Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mahendra Singh Tikait, and slogans like ‘I Love Kheti’ and ‘Garv se Kaho Kisan ke Putra ho’, seek to pump up the energy among the farmers whose enthusiasm had ebbed away a bit in the wake of the Republic Day violence and fears of a crackdown by security forces on the night of January 28.

    D P Singh, member of the Central Kisan Committee of All India Kisan Sabha who addressed the crowds on Saturday, said Tikait’s emotional outpouring swept people off their feet and “connected them to the common cause even stronger”.

    “Yes, we were emotionally hurt by the incident and all the aspersions cast on us after it. But that incident has not hurt our movement which has only grown stronger, with more solidarity coming from people,” he said.

    Many of the farmers who came from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and other parts of Uttar Pradesh addressed the crowds at the protest site.

    Some sang songs in Punjabi to boost the morale of the people and to praise Tikait.

    All of them alleged that “attempts were made to malign this movement” and “defame it”.

    They said the agitation has “come out stronger” after such “attempts”.

    Anil Chaudhary, who also came from Bulandshahr, rued what happened at the Red Fort and on the streets of Delhi on January 26, saying “it did hurt our morale”.

    “But, we feel stronger now. Tikait ji’s tears brought me here. Every person in my village is touched by his emotional appeal. Our solidarity will only grow from here, even though they may stack up the odds against us,” he said.

    As the sun slipped towards the horizon in the biting cold, farmers shared tea and sympathy, and reaffirmed their resolve to keep fighting till they reach their goal of seeing the three farm laws repealed.

  • At all-party meeting, Trinamool Congress requests Centre to repeal farm laws

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday appealed to the government to withdraw the three contentious farm laws at an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the smooth conduct of the Budget Session of Parliament.

    According to sources, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay told the meeting that the prime minister must convene an all-party meeting for a threadbare discussion on the farmer issue.

    “This will send a good message that the government is democratic. Twenty opposition parties boycotted the President’s address (to the joint sitting of Parliament) which sent out a strong message for the government to withdraw the farm laws. Majoritarianism cannot let farmers suffer,” a source quoted the TMC MP as having told the meeting.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding the rollback of 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.

    The protest took a violent turn during the farmers’ tractor rally on January 26.

    Addressing the all-party meeting, the prime minister said his government’s offer on agri laws made to protesting farmers “still stands” and it was a “phone call away” for talks.

    At Saturday’s meeting, several leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Balwinder Singh Bhunder of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Vinayak Raut of the Shiv Sena raised the issue of protesting farmers, sources said.

    TMC MP Bandyopadhyay also asked how could the President in his address to Parliament note that the ‘one nation, one ration card’ policy had been introduced when the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution was discussing the matter.

    “The report is yet to be submitted. But (I am) surprised that the President’s address said the policy had already been introduced. This has to be clarified,” he was quoted as saying.

    Sources said the TMC MP also raised the issues of unemployment and hunger and proposed a comprehensive debate on them in the House.

    He also suggested that the federal structure has been weakened making it “very difficult” for states.

    “Our parliamentary democratic system has to be established firmly and the philosophy of secularism, communal harmony and unity of the country has to be reflected upon in a proper manner,” the TMC MP was quoted as telling the all-party meeting.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Ghazipur border: Resolve grows stronger, farmers say movement not affected by January 26 incident

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Solidarity among farmers at the Ghazipur border protest site here showed no signs of waning on Saturday with their leaders reaffirming their resolve to carry on the long-drawn movement against the new farm laws.

    Days after BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s emotional appeal had galvanised farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to flock to the Delhi-UP border site, several farmers said, “the fight shall go on against all odds.”

    Tikait on Saturday addressed a huge crowd at the protest site, which has become a new focal point of the agitation after his teary-eyed speech when the number of farmers at Ghazipur border seemed to have thinned after the January 26 violent clashes.

    ALSO READ: Violence on Republic Day scripted by BJP to discredit farmers’ movement – AAP

    He reaffirmed the resolve of the farmers in this agitation, saying they have fought this battle for over two months now, and “they won’t relent or retreat”.

    A man from Amritsar offered water to Tikait on the dais, saying “The tears shed by Tikait ji were not just tears, they were tears of a farmer, from which solidarity has grown.”

    In various camps at Ghazipur border, farmers PTI spoke to still tremble at the mention of the infamous Red Fort incident of unfurling a religious flag from the ramparts of the national monument and the violent clashes that preceded.

    “Those people who did it, they are not our people. That faction had an ulterior motive, and what happened on January 26, seemed to be part of a plan by our detractors to defame and weaken our movement which has been going strong,” said 75-year-old D P Singh, member of the Central Kisan Committee of All India Kisan Sabha.

    ALSO READ: R-Day violence – Team of forensic experts visits Red Fort to collect evidence

    “Yes, we were emotionally hurt by the incident and all the aspersions cast on us after it, but that incident has not affected our movement, it has only grown stronger, with more solidarity coming from people,” he said.

    At Ghazipur , a multitude of green-and-white caps, symbolic of the unions fronting the battle, flags of unions and tricolours, planted on tractors, dot the highway.

    On various tractors and camps, photos of legendary leaders such as Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mahendra Singh Tikait, and slogans like ‘I Love Kheti’ and like ‘Garv se Kaho Kisan ke Putra ho’, seek to pump up energy among the farmers, whose enthusiasm had ebbed away a bit in the wake of Republic Day incident and fears of a crackdown by security forces on the night of January 28.

    However, the emotional outburst of Rakesh Tikait again galvanised people and many from parts of western Uttar Pradesh continued to stream in on Saturday too.

    Pankaj Pradhan, 52, head of Charaura village in Bulandshahr, who arrived in the afternoon along with seven other people to Ghazipur border protest site, became emotional, recalling the night of January 28.

    “We were all awake, watching Tikait ji crying, some were glued to TV sets, others on mobile phones, and we all felt restless. I was moved to tests too, and women too got emotional. But, his tears touched a chord with everyone, and made them connect stronger to the movement,” he said.

    Farmers also came from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh, many of whom addressed the crowd at the protest site.

    All of them alleged that “attempts were made to malign this movement” and “defame it”, but the agitation has “come out stronger”.

    Anil Chaudhary, who came from Bulandshahr too, rued what happened at Red Fort and in the streets of Delhi on January 26, and said, “it did hurt our morale”.

    “But, we feel stronger now, and Tikaitji’s tears brought me here. Every person in my village is touched by his emotional appeal. And, our solidarity will only grow from here, even though they may stack up odds against us,” he said.

  • Proposal to farmers on agri laws stands, says PM Modi at all-party meet

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  With the Opposition parties gearing up to corner the government on the controversial farm laws in the ongoing parliament session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated the government’s proposal to stay the laws for 18 months. At an all-party meeting, the PM said the government’s stand was the same as it was on January 22, when the proposal to keep the laws in abeyance was made during the talks with the protesting farmers’ unions.

    BKU leader Rakesh Tikait addresses supportersand the media during a protest overCentre’sagriculture laws at Ghazipur border| PARVEEN NEGI“During the all-party meeting PM Narendra Modi assured that the government was approaching the farmers’ issue with an open mind. The PM said the agriculture minister’s proposal still stands,” parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said. Modi stressed that the government had an open mind and was ready for a detailed discussion on the issue, adding the farmers could always approach the government as agriculture minister Narendra Tomar was just a phone call.

    The PM reaffirmed the importance of the smooth functioning of Parliament and comprehensive debates on the floor of the House. He said smaller parties suffered as a result of frequent disruptions as they do not get an opportunity to express themselves adequately and called on the bigger parties to ensure that Parliament functions smoothly.

    In the meeting, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut and Akali Dal member Balwinder Singh Bhunder also spoke at length on the agitation. Azad reportedly said in the meeting that the Congress had warned the government about the agitation and now the government has to deal with the consequences. Most opposition leaders were of the view that the government needs to discuss the laws again in both houses of parliament and also seek to address the misgivings of the agitating farmers.

    They also reportedly asked the government not to see them as enemies. The Opposition condemned the violence during the tractor rally on January 26 but also demanded an investigation into how “outside elements” had infiltrated the farmers’ movement. The farmers made similar allegations, blaming actor-activist Deep Sidhu for instigating the mob and planting a Sikh religious flag at the Red Fort.

    The meeting took place a day after opposition parties boycotted the President’s address to a joint sitting of parliament in order to express support to the protesting farmers. Joshi said the budget session would take up 38 items, including 33 Bills and five financial items. He said though it would be mainly devoted to financial business relating to the budget and a discussion on the motion of thanks among others.

    No internet at Singhu, Ghazipur till todayThe Centre temporarily suspended internet services at the Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders. The decision was taken to maintain public safety and avert public emergency. On January 26, there was large scale violence during the tractor rally.

    Now, Haryana books Tharoor & journalistsCongress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists were booked by the Haryana Police on charges of sedition for allegedly spreading disharmony during the clashes between the police and farmers on Republic Day in national capital. 

  • BKU supporters stay put at Ghazipur border, more supporters pouring in

    By PTI
    GHAZIABAD: Hundreds of farmers stayed put at the Ghazipur border on Saturday morning, as more supporters poured in at the protest site on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway here.

    The Bharatiya Kisan Union-led protest against the Centre’s new farm laws here looked like it was going slim on Thursday but more protestors have joined the stir, following a mahapanchayat of farmers on Saturday in Muzaffarnagar, while supporters also poured in from Haryana and Rajasthan districts.

    “The movement was and is strong,” BKU’s Meerut Zone president Pawan Khatana told PTI.

    Khatana, who is at the demonstration site with BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, said there has been continuous support for the “peaceful protest” against the farmers’ demand for removal of the new agri laws.

    “This is not a political protest. Anybody who shares the ideology of the BKU and Rakesh Tikait are welcome here.

    But it is our appeal to those who do not wish to support the movement till the end that please do not come only to leave in between,” he said.

    Asked about estimated crowd size at the site, the farmer leader from western Uttar Pradesh said, “Farmers are coming in to show solidarity and leaving.

    It is not a stagnant crowd.

    ” On Saturday night, the BKU office-bearers had estimated a crowd of around 10,000 people at Ghazipur while the Ghaziabad police officials pegged it around 5,000 to 6,000.

    Heavy security deployment, including personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Rapid Action Force (RAF) in anti-riot gears and civil police, was made at the protest site.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police said to and fro movement on the National Highway 24 (Delhi-Meerut Expressway) has been closed.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of 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.

    The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

    However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.