A farmer leader announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march will be suspended for two days.
"We will discuss the incident that occurred in Khanauri. Our march towards Delhi will include a two-day stay. We will clarify the entire situation later as to what our next steps will be," farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, head of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said at a press conference.
Condemning the 'atrocities' carried out by Haryana Police, Pandher said, "Many of our farmers have suffered injuries and several are missing. Given the situation, we have halted our ‘Delhi Chalo’ march for two days. In these two days, we will meet the families of injured and missing farmers and will decide on our future course of action".
The farmers' announcement comes after the Centre requested another round of discussions. "Farmers are located throughout the country. When developing a policy, it is critical to consider the interests of all farmers in the country. Keeping this in mind, we will work to address their concerns in the coming days," Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda told PTI.
The farmer unions resumed their 'Delhi Chalo' protest march on Wednesday, following the failure of the fourth round of talks with the Centre. The government panel, which included three Union ministers, proposed that government agencies buy pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP for five years after signing a contract with farmers. However, the farm leaders had rejected the proposal.
Thousands of farmers will remain camped at the two border crossings during the pause in protests over their demands, which include a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm debt waiver.