March 29, 2024 11:35 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63 | NIA arrests key conspirator in Bengaluru cafe blast case | Actor Govinda returns to politics after 14 years of 'vanvas', joins Eknath Shinde camp | 'To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture': PM posts after 600 lawyers write to CJI
Farm laws protest: More than 50,000 farmers to stand at Delhi border tonight Farmers' protest
Image credit: Video grab

Farm laws protest: More than 50,000 farmers to stand at Delhi border tonight

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 26 Nov 2020, 11:56 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: More than 50,000 farmers are expected to stand at the Delhi border on Thursday night as they march towards the national capital to protest against the Centre's new farm laws.

"More than 50,000 farmers will be standing at the Delhi border by today evening.  The numbers are expected to swell through the night as thousands of tractors and trolleys are carrying farmers, women and children from interior areas of Punjab," read a statement from Samyukt Kisan Morcha and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.

The day witnessed massive clashes between the farmers and the Haryana Police as the protesters were attempting to enter the state from Punjab.

In a dramatic visual, farmers from Punjab were seen throwing police barricades into the river as they were attempting to enter Haryana.

Police were forced to use tear gas and water cannons at the farmers.

Meanwhile, leaders in Punjab and Haryana too engaged in a political tussle, with the BJP accusing the Congress of brainwashing farmers for its own interests and the Congress hitting back with sharp questions.

Strongly condemning Haryana government's forcible attempts to stop farmers from marching to Delhi in protest against the Farm Laws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh warned the BJP-led government against pushing them to the brink.

Urging the Manohar Lal Khattar government to allow the agitated farmers to pass through the national highway to take their voice to Delhi peacefully, Singh questioned the need to stop them from proceeding.

"Why is @mlkhattar govt in Haryana stopping the farmers from moving to Delhi? The tyrannical use of brute force against peacefully protesting farmers is totally undemocratic & unconstitutional," he said, asserting that “the hands that feed the nation deserve to be held, not pushed aside."

Terming it a “sad irony” that on Constitution Day, Singh said the constitutional right of farmers to protest was being suppressed.

The Chief Minister flayed the use of brute force by the Haryana Police, which had used water cannons and tear gas in a bid to stop the Punjab farmers from marching through the state and had not allowed farmers from Haryana to move out of their villages in many places.

What was the need for violence, Singh asked, pointing out that the farmers had been protesting for the past two months in Punjab without any problem, even though the state had suffered crores of rupees in losses.

There had been no violence or law and order problem in Punjab, he observed, terming the Haryana government’s actions as provocative.

"For nearly two months farmers have been protesting peacefully in Punjab without any problem. Why is Haryana govt provoking them by resorting to force? Don't the farmers have the right to pass peacefully through a public highway?" he asked.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also hit back accusing Amarinder Singh of playing "cheap politics" during the pandemic.

Farmers from six states -- Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala and Punjab -- are backing the march to Delhi.

The protest, planned for over two months, has the support of 500 farmers' organisations.

The agitating farmers have not even responded to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's appeal for talks on Dec 3.

The Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market.

However, farmers and opposition leaders criticised the Centre's move stating small peasants will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited.

The laws (then bills) had also left the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) red-faced as its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had left the ruling national coalition on the issue.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
PM Modi in Bhutan 22 Mar 2024, 06:53 pm
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu 28 Feb 2024, 07:07 pm