Farmers Protest: After the failure of four rounds of talks with the centre over the guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the farmers are set to continue their Delhi Chalo' march again on Wednesday from two points on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The Delhi Police has ramped up security measures deployed at the city's Tikri, Singhu, and Ghazipur border points and conducted mock drills on Tuesday. Delhi Police officials said security personnel were deployed on Tuesday at the city's three border points to remain on high alert.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has said that the protesting farmers have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward and put an end to this protest. Pandher also said, "We have made you the PM, we never thought that the forces would oppress us this way".
Here Are Top Points:
- The latest round of talks between farmers and the government were held on Sunday when a panel of ministers proposed buying five crops -- moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton -- from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies. The proposal from the government was formally rejected by the farmers with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal saying on Tuesday that it was not in the farmers' interest.
- "We have told the govt that you can kill us but please don't oppress the farmers. We request the Prime Minister to come forward and put an end to this protest by announcing a law on the MSP guarantee for the farmers...The country will not forgive such a govt...There are paramilitary forces deployed in the villages of Haryana...What crime have we committed?...We have made you the Prime Minister. We never thought that the forces would oppress us this way...Please protect the Constitution and let us peacefully head towards Delhi. This is our right," Pandher said, as quoted by ANI.
- The farmers have brought in heavy machinery, including excavators and JCB machines in a bid to break barricades at the interstate borders. On Tuesday, Haryana Police urged its Punjab counterparts to seize bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment from the interstate border. Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapoor said that these could pose a threat to the security forces deployed at the border.
- Haryana Police also requested its Punjab counterparts to strictly warn the owners or operators of such equipment to not provide their equipment to the protesting farmers as this would "amount to a criminal act and they would be criminally liable for the same," as reported by news agency PTI.
- The Haryana government on Tuesday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till Wednesday in the wake of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation, as reported by PTI. The affected districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. The government had earlier extended the suspension of mobile internet on February 13, 15, 17 and 19.
- Ahead of the resumption of the 'Delhi Chalo' march, Pandher said the Centre should convene a day-long Parliament session to bring a legislation on the MSP for crops, PTI reported. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha is spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation along with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political).
- Farmers marching to the national capital were detained in Manesar on Tuesday.