Kisan rally: Farmers call off protest after being allowed into Delhi, say govt has met most demands

Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Naresh Tikait, over 400 tractors carrying thousands of farmers reached Delhi’s Kisan Ghat. Tikait declared it as the “victory of farmers” and said the BJP government has failed in its “motives”.

Thousands of farmers called off their protest march to the national capital on Wednesday, saying the government had met “most of their demands”, a day after a massive standoff with police at the city’s border with Uttar Pradesh.

Farmers shout slogans during a protest as they clashed with police and paramilitary forces at the Delhi’s borders with Uttar Pradesh, prompting police to use tear gas, water cannons to stop protesting farmers from entering the city, in Ghaziabad on October 2, 2018.(Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Around 5,000 farmers were allowed into Delhi post midnight and reached their targeted destination, Kisan Ghat, and left by 6 am, deputy commissioner of police (east) Pankaj Singh said.

Close to 20 people, including farmers and police personnel, were injured in the clash between the protesters and security personnel at the Delhi-UP gate border on NH-24 when the Delhi Police denied them entry into the capital around 11.30 am on Tuesday.

Police had used tear gas shells and water cannons when a group of protesters tried to break the iron and concrete barriers by ramming their tractor-trolleys into them.

 

Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers had started their Kisan Kranti Yatra march from Haridwar in Uttarakhand on September 23 and had reached the Delhi border on Tuesday by foot, tractors and private vehicles.

Their 15-point charter of demands included raising crop prices, unconditional waiver of loans, reduction of electricity and diesel prices, and payment of sugarcane arrears, among others.

Read | Farmers’ protest heats up politics in BJP stronghold of west UP

The farmers said they have reached an agreement with the government, which, according to them, has accepted “most of the demands”, including raising crop prices, IANS reported.

“A formal announcement in this regard will be made within six days by the government,” Rakesh Tikait, national BKU spokesperson, told the news agency, shortly before the farmers called off their march.

BKU chief Naresh Tikait declared it as the “victory of farmers” and said the BJP government has failed in its “motives”.

Watch: Kisan Rally turns violent, cops use tear gas and water cannons 

The government has also assured the farmers of bearing the costs for the repair of tractors that were damaged during the standoff with the police at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border on Tuesday, the agency said.

The standoff at the border had led to massive traffic snarls in Ghaziabad and arterial roads in Delhi. Schools and educational institutions were shut and a massive force was deployed.