Farmers To Observe 'Sadbhavna Diwas', Hold Day-Long Fast To Commemorate Gandhi's Death Anniversary

Addressing a press conference at Delhi's Singhu border, farmer leaders announced that the fast will be observed on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary.

(File Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Farmers protesting against the union government's agricultural laws will observe "Sadbhavna Diwas" to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary (January 30) today and hold a day-long fast.

Addressing a press conference at Delhi's Singhu border, farmer leaders announced that the fast will be observed from 9 am to 5 pm. They urged everyone to join them in this fast.

Besides the announcement, the farmer leaders also criticised the ruling BJP at the Centre by accused it of trying to "destroy" the peaceful protest against the agrarian laws.

"The conspiracy of the ruling BJP to destroy this farmer movement is now exposed to all," a leader said.

The comment came after a score of people claiming to be locals vandalised the Singhu protest site and tried to intimidate farmers with violence to make them leave.

Amid reports of farmers leaving the agitation in the aftermath of R-Day chaos, farmer leaders also emphasised that the number of protesters at all the prominent protest sites such as Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri - is swelling after it was said that BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait will be arrested or forcibly removed from Ghazipur border. After a fiery speech, Takait had broken down in front of the media alleging violence against farmers who continued to stay put.

The Ghaziabad administration gave an ultimatum to the protesting farmers to vacate the Ghazipur border by Thursday night, later in the evening farmer leader Rakesh Tikait declared that he would hang himself but not end the stir.

After the emotional breakdown, a lot of people reached out to Rakesh Tikait. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad also met him at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Friday and assured that the Dalit group will provide all help to strengthen the agitation against the new farm laws.

Azad reached UP Gate around 6:30 PM with nearly 100 members of the Bhim Army. He said Tikait is the "pride of western Uttar Pradesh" and that he is going to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmer leader.

"We stand firm with our farmers and will provide all help needed to strengthen their protest," Azad said. He also claimed that the government will "try every trick to end this movement and instigate farmers to resort to violence".

(With Agency Inputs)