Farmers now cannot come to Delhi to express their grievances: Rahul Gandhi

" On International Day of Non-Violence, the BJP's two-year Gandhi Jayanti celebrations began with the brutal beating of farmers peacefully coming to Delhi. Now, even the farmers cannot express the grievances by coming to the capital," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.

The police stopped the protesting farmers from entering the national capital.

According to media reports, the police used water cannons and batons to disperse the farmers.

Reacting strongly to police's attempt to stop several thousands of farmers, who were marching to the national capital to press for their demands, from entering Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the peasants can't be denied an entry to the city, which is for all.

The farmers tried to break barricades and enter New Delhi when police used tear gas and water cannons on the protesters.

Following the incident, Kejriwal took to Twitter to say in Hindi, "दिल्ली सबकी है। किसानों को दिल्ली में आने से नहीं रोका जा सकता। किसानों की माँगे जायज़ हैं। उनकी माँगें मानी जायें। (Delhi is for all. Can't stop farmers from entering Delhi. The farmers' demands are justifiable. Their demands must be fulfilled."

Nearly 50,000 farmers, led by Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, marched from Haridwar to New Delhi with the demands which include loans waivers, clearance of pending sugarcane payments and raising the minimum support prices. 

The farmers are also demanding free electricity for running tubewells, Hindustan Times reported.

Anticipating law and order problems which might take place, Delhi police have imposed prohibitory orders in the areas which border Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, farmer leaders met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait told Hindustan Times that farmers will not accept government assurance and will go ahead with the protest.