Farmers' Union Announce Plan to March to Parliament on Budget Day

Protesting farmer unions on Monday announced they will walk towards the parliament from different locations on February 1, the day the Union Budget will be presented.

Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union said the protesting farmers remain fixed on their demand that the three Central farm laws should be repealed. He said the protest will continue until all their demands are met.

"We will march towards parliament on foot from different locations on the Budget day on February 1," he said.

"The farmers who have come for the tractor parade will not go back now and will join the protest. The agitation will continue till our demands met. Our stand remains the same," Pal told a press conference, sharing the farmers' plans to strengthen the protest.

The three farm laws, enacted in September last year, have been projected as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

The protesting farmers have however, expressed their concern that the new laws would lead to the elimination of the minimum support price system and do away with the mandi or wholesale market system, leaving them at the whims of big corporates.

Meanwhile, the protesting farmers' tractor rallies into the National Capital were met with barricades, lathi charge and tear gas in several places on Republic Day, escalating into clashes at the Red Fort, Kashmere Gate and ITO.

This is the first time that farmers, who have been protesting at the borders for two months against the Centre's farm laws, have entered Delhi. As Delhi Police sought to remove protesters from the Red Fort premises, personnel unleashed rounds of lathi charge on them.

The MHA ordered to disband mobile internet services in large parts of NCR, including Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Nangloi and adjoining areas. Several entry and exit points of Metro lines, along with traffic routes have also been shut down.

Police used a number of tear gas shells to disperse protesters at ITO.

Farmers from across Indian states have been camped at Delhi borders for months now protesting against the Centre's three new contentious farm laws, with the police not allowing them into the capital. So far, the Centre and farmers' union have had eleven rounds of talks which have failed, with the protesters insisting on a complete withdrawal of the laws rather than the '1.5-year stay' offered by the government.

Also Read: CM Amarinder Urges PM Modi to Accept Farmers Demands, Internet Cut in Parts of Delhi

Also Watch: Delhi Under Seige, Farmers Storm Red Fort, Hoist Tri-Colour