Farmers protest LIVE: Agitators to hold sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar from today

Farmers protesting the alleged three contentious farm laws will start holding a stir at Jantar Mantar from Thursday under heavy security with Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal giving special permission for demonstrations by a maximum of 200 peasants till August 9. A group of 200 farmers will travel to Jantar Mantar from the Singhu border in buses with a police escort and hold protests there from 11 am to 5 pm. Delhi Police sources said that the Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers’ union which has been spearheading the protest against the farm laws, has been asked to give an undertaking that all Covid norms would be followed and the stir would be peaceful. Although the SKM said that their protest at the Jantar Mantar will continue till the end if the Monsoon Session of Parliament on August 13, the L-G has given permission for protest till August 9. This is the first time since the violence in the national capital during a tractor rally on January 26 that the authorities have granted permission to protesting farmer unions to hold a protest in the city.

Farmers Protest Live Updates, Latest News: 

Farmers protest latest news: Tight security in Delhi 

The security at Jantar Mantar road in Delhi has been beefed up by Delhi Police as scores of farmers are scheduled to hold a protest there against the three farm laws on Thursday. Delhi Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), Satish Golcha, and Joint Commissioner of Police, Jaspal Singh, visited Jantar Mantar to review security ahead of the farmers organisations gathering at the spot. However, Delhi police said, “It has not given written permission to the farmers so far to gather near Parliament.”

200 farmers to gather at Jantar Mantar daily: The farmers organisations leading the protests at the Singhu border have decided that 200 protesting farmers will assemble at Jantar Mantar every day from Thursday.

Kisan Parliament: Farmers said that they will hold Kisan Parliament from July 22 till the Monsoon Session of Parliament ends. One speaker and one deputy speaker will be chosen every day. In the first two days there will be discussion over the APMC Act. Later, the other bills will also be discussed every two days.

Farmers asked to follow Covid norms: Farmers have been advised to observe Covid-appropriate behaviour and social distancing. The farmer unions have also been advised not to take out any march in view of Covid restrictions. The Delhi Police has put in place extensive arrangements to ensure that the protest programme remains peaceful,.

Farmers Protest & January 26 violence 

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and West UP across the country have been agitating at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations. Over 10 rounds of talks with the government, which has been projecting the laws at major agricultural reforms, have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties. A tractor parade in Delhi on January 26, that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three agriculture laws, had dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

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READ MORE: ‘Cannot give permission’: Delhi Police refuses to allow farmers’ protest near Parliament

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