Indian police block roads to stop protesting farmers from disrupting budget day
- by Nick Cohen
- in Industry
- — Feb 3, 2021
Multiple rounds of talks between the government and the farmers have failed to end the stalemate.
The central government on Tuesday defended the police crackdown on farmers protesting against new agricultural laws.
A tractor parade on Tuesday's Republic Day turned violent when some protesters deviated from pre-agreed routes, clashing with police and breaking into the historic Red Fort complex in the capital.
The Ministry informed that these services have been suspended to maintain public safety and to avert public emergency.
Harman Preet Singh had claimed in his petition, filed through advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh, that Delhi Police on January 27 said that it has detained over 200 persons in connection with the violence in the national capital on January 26 and 22 FIRs have also been registered thus far.
Farm leaders said Saturday's hunger strike, to coincide with the death anniversary of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, would show Indians that the protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the internet suspension at the three border protest sites will continue till February 2.
"The farmers' movement was peaceful and will be peaceful", said Darshan Pal, a leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha group of farm unions organising the protests.
This is what they did at Tikri last night.
Vehicles proceeding towards and coming from the protest site are being checked while drones have been deployed for aerial monitoring at the site, officials said.
What are the proposed farming reforms?
The new laws allow farmers to sell their produce on the open market after decades of selling to state-run bodies.
As many as 510 police personnel were injured in the violence associated with protest against the farm laws, SN Srivastava told reporters.
"No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA".
Farmers say the changes will mean the takeover of the agriculture industry, which employs two-thirds of India's 1.3 billion population, by conglomerates.
Analysts say declining productivity and a lack of modernisation have shrunk incomes and hobbled agriculture in India for decades.
