Farmers’ Protest: Security Tightened Near Jantar Mantar, Tikri Border Ahead Of ‘Kisan Sansad’

New Delhi: Farmers who have been protesting the three agri-laws since November 2020 will demonstrate at Jantar Mantar from today. The security at Jantar Mantar road has been beefed up by Delhi police as scores of farmers are scheduled to hold a protest. 

The Delhi government has allowed farmers to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has given special permission to allows 200 farmers to protest until August 9th. 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 told PTI.

Delhi: Security tightens at Jantar Mantar ahead of a farmers’ protest against three farm laws amid monsoon session of Parliament pic.twitter.com/RhtVRJnCk9

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2021 

The Delhi government has also granted permission to farmers to hold protest, subject to following all COVID protocols.

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Farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh told ANI: “A group of 200 farmers will go in four buses to hold ‘Kisan Sansad’ at Parliament Street where we will discuss the agrarian crisis the three farm laws and MSP. We have constituted a six-member steering committee which will include three members from Punjab.”

The Delhi Police, which had earlier refused to give the farmers permission to protest at the Jantar Mantar on near the Parliament building during the Monsoon Session, has, however, kept certain conditions before the farmers.

According to an order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who is also DDMA’s chairperson, has given approval for a staggered protest at Jantar Mantar.

“They would be conveyed by designated buses and six members of one separate group by a designated SUV on a given route under police escort subject to strict observance of Covid-appropriate behaviour (wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, regular hand washing and use of sanitiser etc.) and compliance of all other guidelines/ instructions/SOPs issued by Government of India and Government of NCT of Delhi from time to time in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the order said.

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, it added.

While several rounds have occurred of talks between the farmers and the government they all ended in a deadlock.

The farmers mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been camping at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

“We will hold Kisan Parliament from July 22 till the Monsoon Session of Parliament ends and 200 protesters will go to Jantar Mantar every day. 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,” the farmer leaders said on Tuesday.

Speaking about the matter today, Farmer leader Prem Singh Bhangu at Singhu (Delhi-Haryana) border said: “Our next stop will be Uttar Pradesh, BJP’s heartland. Our UP mission will begin on September 5. We’ll totally isolate BJP. There is no alternative other than to repeal three farm laws. We are ready for talks”.