Delhi police prepare for farmers’ agitation

Police detain a woman during a protest by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in Hyderabad on Saturday. Pic/PTI

The Delhi Police on Saturday tightened security arrangements across borders of the National Capital in view of the anticipated protest march by farmers, officials said. Saturday marked the completion of seven months of the protests by the farmers, ever since they began their stir by camping at Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana. The other two protest sites on the National Capital's borders are Tikri and Ghazipur. The protesting farmers have demanded the withdrawal of the Centre's new farm laws and that a new law be made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. The Delhi Metro decided to shut its three main stations on the Yellow Line for four hours on Saturday.

According to a statement by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points, "Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas" [save agriculture, save democracy] was marked all over India on Saturday on the completion of seven months of the farmers' protests and 46 years after promulgation of Emergency in India in 1975. Thousands of farmers across India marched in rallies to Raj Bhavans in different states on Saturday. As an expression of solidarity, one such rally was also planned in Massachusetts, USA, it said.

Thousands of farmers from Saharanpur and Sisauli in western Uttar Pradesh reached Ghazipur Gate led by BKU chief Rakesh Tikait. Protests by farmers continue in different parts of the country for remunerative guaranteed prices, the statement said. The representatives of farmers also sought to submit memoranda to governors in various states on Saturday.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever