Farmers gathered in large numbers at Delhi's Ramlila Ground on Thursday to participate in a "Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat" organised to protest the BJP-led Centre's agricultural policies.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer organisations that led a protest at Delhi's borders in 2020-21 against three agriculture laws that have since been repealed, has announced that a resolution will be passed at the "Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat" to "intensify the fight" against the Centre's policies.
At the protest site, farmers chanted anti-Central government slogans.
Here To Remind Centre Of Its promises: BKU (Tikait) Leader
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Hoshiar Singh stated that farmers in Delhi are gathering to remind the Central government of the promises made during the protest.
"The central government made some promises during our Delhi protest. However, none of the promises have been fulfilled thus far. So we've come here to remind the government that promises must be kept and farmers should be paid fair prices for their crops," Hoshiar Singh told PTI.
Will Discuss And Announce Further Actions During Today: Rakesh Tikait
Rakesh Tikait, the leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKWU), told reporters ahead of the mahapanchayat: "Our leadership here will discuss and then announce their decision. MSP guarantee law is a major issue. Whatever decision is made today, the people gathered here will inform the people in their villages, cities, and states. There is a need for widespread agitation in the country".
Given the farmers' gathering, police have issued a traffic advisory directing commuters to avoid the roads leading to central Delhi. The number of paramilitary personnel stationed at Delhi's borders has also increased, with farmers being told not to bring their tractor-trolleys, PTI reported citing officials.
The Delhi Police has permitted the farmers to hold the event on the condition that there be no more than 5,000 people present, no tractor-trolleys, and no march to Ramlila Maidan.
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