Farmers from Punjab and Haryana protesting in Delhi on Friday were supported by their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, who will join the uproar in the coming days, farmers leaders from these states said.
Protests were also seen on Friday in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. There could be a possible showdown on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh interstate border on Saturday as farmers from UP, Uttarakhand and MP will attempt to enter the capital from there.
After fighting tear gas projectiles and water cannons for hours on Friday at the Delhi-Haryana border in Sonipat and Jhajjar, thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana were allowed at night to enter the Tikri border and perform their protest at Burari in the northwest. Delhi against the three recently enacted agricultural laws: the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services 2020 and the Essential Products Act (Amendment) Law 2020: passed by Parliament in its monsoon session.
At the Singhu border, which falls onto the Grand Trunk Road, where thousands of tracker carts are stranded with farmers, the police did not allow entry until late at night. Haryana police officials said there were many farmers in cars, buses and trackers heading towards Delhi from different roads in the state. Farmers’ organizations have been demanding that the laws be repealed and replaced by a new law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP) for all agricultural products in the country.
Farmer corps in at least 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh held protests and blocked traffic on roads in the state on Friday, with leaders calling on farmers to start a march towards Delhi starting on Saturday. Dharmendra Malik, state spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said the union decided that farmers would start marching towards Delhi in their tractor cars.
“Five lakh farmers had organized a protest in Delhi for seven days in 1988 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Tikait, forcing the then government of Rajiv Gandhi in the Center to accept their demands. The farmers would force the Modi government to withdraw the bills, ”he said.
A large number of Madhya Pradesh farmers, trying to join the Punjab and Haryana farmers’ protest in Delhi, staged a protest near Agra on National Highway 3 on Friday as the UP police did not allow them to advance. more towards Capital.
Madhya Pradesh Secretary General Kisan Sangh, Akhilesh Singh, said: “MP farmers had been trying to reach Delhi to join the peaceful protest since Wednesday night, but the UP police were arresting them. On Friday morning, they sat in a dharna near Agra on National Highway 3 and stopped traffic for more than five hours. “Later in the evening, they were allowed to proceed towards the capital on the Delhi-Mathura highway. Agra.
All India Kisan Sabha members from Rajasthan mobilized farmers from Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Sikar districts to join the stir. “Farmers in Rajasthan will join the Delhi Chalo movement in the coming days. We have held solidarity protests in various parts of the state on Friday, ”said Amra Ram, former lawmaker and general secretary of Kisan Sabha.
Farmers in tractor carts from Uttarakhand paddy field, Uddham Singh Nagar, were detained in UP’s Rampur from heading to Delhi. They started an indefinite sit-in on the Rampur National Highway and blocked traffic. They were joined by local UP farmers.
Tajendra Singh Virk, President of Terai Kisan Sangathan, Uddham Singh Nagar, said: “The UP police do not allow us to go to Delhi under the pretext of the Covid-19 outbreak. We have decided that we will continue our sit-in and camp here until the police allow us to go to Delhi. ”
UP police deployed a large force on the Rampur road to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi. “Farmers are already in a pathetic condition due to government policies. These farm laws will make our problems even worse. So we have no choice but to speak out in Delhi, ”Virk said.
There were protests in various places in Maharashtra, including Thane, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Sangli and Wardha, and agricultural leaders said they would decide within days whether to join the uproar in Delhi. Ashok Dhawale, National President of All India Kisan Sabha, said: “Thursday was a protest across the country. Punjab and Haryana are not the only states affected. “Meanwhile, farmers have decided to organize sit-ins for the next 4-5 days in Maharashtra.
Farmers from Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada city held a solidarity protest under the auspices of the All India Coordination Committee Kisan Sangharsh.
The protesters were detained by the police after a small confrontation with them.
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