Noida police halt BKU’s tractor march midway

The protest march started from Knowledge Park to Surajpur collectorate with protesters demanding the minimum support price (MSP) guarantee law

Noida: A “tricolour march”, organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), was marred by the intervention of police on Friday who stopped the demonstrators, belonging to the Rakesh Tikait-led group, from entering the Surajpur Collectorate compound on their tractors and other vehicles.

Police said it only requested them not to enter the collectorate in tractors, adding that they don’t discourage anyone from holding protests but they can enter the premises in any vehicle other than tractors. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The protest march started from Knowledge Park to Surajpur collectorate with protesters demanding the minimum support price (MSP) guarantee law which farmers are pushing for to ensure they receive a fair and assured price for their crops. They also demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan report that recommended several measures to improve the agricultural sector, a land acquisition bill, and electricity reforms, among others.

“Police and the authorities are doing their level best to stop the national flag by objecting to our Tiranga Yatra. This proves that protests and demonstrations in the near future will get banned. Today is a day of freedom and we want freedom from the government and its atrocities,” BKU spokesperson Tikait said while adding, “We want our demands fulfilled.”

A senior police officer from the Surajpur police station, who did not wish to be named, said protestors were not stopped midway. “We only requested them not to enter the collectorate in their tractors, but they started arguing with us. We don’t discourage anyone from holding protests, but they can enter the premises in any vehicle other than tractors,” the officer said.