Opposition MPs not allowed to cross barricades, meet farmers

Activists of United Hindu Front burn an effigy with a picture of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg during a demonstration in New Delhi on Thursday. PIC/AFP

Fifteen MPs from 10 opposition parties, including the SAD, DMK, NCP and the Trinamool Congress, were stopped by the police from reaching Ghazipur border on Thursday to meet farmers protesting against new farm laws, a leader said. According to SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who coordinated the visit, the leaders were not allowed to cross the barricades and reach the protest site.

Farmers raise slogans during their ongoing protest against the farm laws, at Singhu border in New Delhi, on Thursday. PIC/PTI

Besides Badal, Supriya Sule from NCP, Kanimozhi and Tiruchi Siva from the DMK, Saugata Roy from the TMC were part of the delegation. Members of the National Conference, RSP and the IUML were also part of it. During a discussion in Parliament on Wednesday, several opposition parties asked the government to withdraw the three contentious farm laws without making it a prestige issue and not to treat the agitating farmers as "enemies".

Stringent security continued at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, one of the key protest sites where thousands of farmers are camping with a demand that the Centre repeal the new agri-marketing laws enacted last September.

The government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture. Eleven rounds of formal talks between the government and the protesting farmer unions have failed to break the deadlock.

While unions have stuck to their main demand of repeal of the laws and legal guarantee of MSP, the government has offered some concessions including keeping these laws on hold for 1-1.5 years. Even the Supreme Court has stayed the laws for two months and set up a panel to look into the matter.

Iron nails being ‘repositioned'
Iron nails studded on roads at Ghazipur border to restrict the movement of farmers agitating against the new agri laws are being "repositioned", a senior police officer said on Thursday.

The statement comes after videos and photos of workers removing the nails near Ghazipur border surfaced on social media. Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Yadav asserted that the security arrangements at the border will remain the same.

CRPF, RAF deployment extended for two weeks
The deployment of 31 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies including 16 Rapid Action Force (RAF) companies for Delhi-NCR, in view of the farmers' protests, has been extended for two more weeks. Earlier, the Centre had extended deployment period of four companies of RAF till February 4 to maintain law and order in Ghaziabad.

Police register FIR; Thunberg not named
Delhi Police have registered an FIR against unnamed people in connection with the "toolkit", which was shared by activist Greta Thunberg and others on Twitter. Thunberg tweeted, "I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest. No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. #FarmersProtest."

BKS to not support ‘chakka jam' stir
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliate Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) on Thursday said that it will not support farmer unions' ‘chakka jam' call given for February 6 for blocking national and state highways for three hours. Farmer unions have said that they will block the highways in protest against the internet ban and harassment allegedly meted out to them.

‘Travesty of the truth'

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
‘Farmers have been behind the progress of the country. They also played an important role in Chauri Chaura struggle. In the last six years, steps have been taken to make farmers self-reliant. As a result of this, the agriculture sector has grown even during the pandemic'

Derek O'Brien, Trinamool Congress leader
‘The Repealing Bill 2021, this will repeal all (three controversial farm laws). I have taken the liberty of drafting the Repealing Bill 2021. I will share it with them. You repeal these bills (farm laws). There is a way to do it. Eighteen months' pause you will put on these (laws), but how?'

P Chidambaram, senior Congress leader
‘This is a travesty of the truth. If MEA distorts the truth on a matter where there is a record, who will believe MEA's other statements?'

Devendra Fadnavis, BJP Leader
‘How an international conspiracy is going on has been revealed with the tweets. India is being defamed using the platform of farmers' protest'