Farmers' protest LIVE: P Chidambaram questions MEA, after Rihanna's viral tweet
"It's a matter of pride that eminent pwersonalities are showing sensitivity towards the cause of farmers," said Dr Darshan Pal, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
As the agitation against the three contentious farm laws entered the 68th day on Wednesday, farmers continued to camp around the borders of Delhi. There was widespread outrage after Delhi Police cemented nails near barricades at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) and Tikri (Delhi-Haryana) borders. Barbed wire and cement barricades were also part of the multilayered security placed by the police. One of Haryana’s prominent khaps, Kandela khap, organised a ‘Kisan mahapanchayat’ in Kandela village of Jind district on Wednesday where BKU president Rakesh Tikait and several other leaders of various farmer unions were present. The mahapanchayat demanded repeal of the three farm laws. ...Read More
The proceedings of Parliament on Tuesday were also affected by the farmers' protest as the opposition demanded a discussion on the agitation. Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha faced repeated adjournments on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the government agreed to the opposition and said that the farmer protests will be discussed for 15 hours in parliament.
The protest also witnessed a tremendous outpouring of support on social media as international pop star Rihanna, climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, and lawmakers from the United States and the United Kingdom tweeted about the agitation forcing the external affairs ministry to respond. A statement issued by the external affairs ministry on Wednesday contended “vested interest groups” are trying to enforce their agenda on the protests to derail them and said these groups have tried to mobilise global support against India. The statement also referred to “sensationalist social media hashtags and comments” by “celebrities and others” but didn’t name anyone.
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- Feb 03, 2021 11:12 pm IST
'Good that Rihanna and Greta Thunberg can wake up the MEA': Congress leader P Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram, in his reaction to Rihanna's viral tweet about farmers protest, tweeted "It is good that Rihanna and Greta Thunberg can wake up the MEA. Come on MEA, when will you realize that people concerned with issues of human rights and livelihoods do not recognize national boundaries?"
- Feb 03, 2021 10:38 pm IST
"India's sovereignty cannot be compromised," tweets Tendulkar
- Feb 03, 2021 10:37 pm IST
Lata Mangeshkar tweets with India Together, India Against Propaganda hashtags
- Feb 03, 2021 06:24 pm IST
SKM acknowledges support of international personalities towards ongoing farmers' protest
"Samyukta Kisan Morcha acknowledges the support of international personalities towards ongoing farmers' movement in India. On one hand, it's a matter of pride that eminent personalities are showing sensitivity towards the cause of farmers": Dr Darshan Pal, Samyukta Kisan Morcha
- Feb 03, 2021 04:54 pm IST
BJP urges opposition parties to not make farmers protest another Shaheen Bagh
BJP said in RajyaSabha that doors are always open for farmers to amicably resolve issue over farm laws. The centre also urged opposition parties not to make farmers protest another Shaheen Bagh.
- Feb 03, 2021 04:49 pm IST
Videos show no insult to Tricolour at Red Fort on R-Day - Shiv Sena
Videos show no insult to Tricolour at Red Fort on R-Day; making hue & cry about incident that didn't happen is also insult of national flag: Shiv Sena
- Feb 03, 2021 03:42 pm IST
Jind mahapanchayat demands repeal of farm laws
A "mahapanchayat" attended by Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday renewed the call to repeal the new farm laws, an event marred by the collapse of the stage on which the speakers had assembled. According to initial reports, nobody was hurt when the dais constructed at Kandela village in Jind district collapsed under the weight of the people gathered on it. Tikait has been mostly camping at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border since the protests over the central laws intensified, with farmers massing just outside the national capital two months ago. The large gathering at Jind’s Kandela village was attended by several khap leaders. The event was organised by the Sarv Jatiya Kandela Khap headed by Tekram Kandela.
- Feb 03, 2021 02:54 pm IST
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait and other farmer leaders attend Mahapanchayat in Jind, Haryana
- Feb 03, 2021 01:15 pm IST
Delhi chief minister issues list of people arrested after January 26 violence
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal issues a list of 115 people who were arrested after January 26 violence. "I hope it helps people looking for their family members who went missing after participating in Kisan Andolan on January 26"
- Feb 03, 2021 12:46 pm IST
SC dismisses PIL seeking direction to not declare farmers as 'terrorists' without any evidence
Supreme Court dismisses another PIL seeking direction to the media not to declare farmers as 'terrorists' without any evidence.
- Feb 03, 2021 12:25 pm IST
SC rejects petition seeking intervention in R-Day violence probe
SC refuses to entertain petitions seeking Court's intervention into the tractor rally held on January 26. A three-judge bench headed by CJI SA Bobde said, "We are sure that Government is enquiring into it and taking appropriate action. We also read the statement of PM in the press that law will take it's own course. We are confident that law will take it's own course. We don't want to interfere in this case."
The Court allowed the petitioners to withdraw their petitions.
- Feb 03, 2021 12:18 pm IST
SC hears pleas related to R-Day violence
Supreme Court starts hearing a batch of pleas pertaining to tractor rally violence in the national capital on Republic Day, including the one which has sought setting up of a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to inquire into the incident.
- Feb 03, 2021 12:12 pm IST
Vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda: MEA
"It's unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them. This was egregiously witnessed on January 26," says Union ministry of external affairs on recent comments by foreign individuals and entities on the farmers’ protests.
- Feb 03, 2021 11:22 am IST
Farmers' agitation causing inconvenience to residents: Centre to Parliament
Ministry of home affairs inform Parliament that agitating farmers at Ghazipur, Chilla, Tikri and Singhu borders have caused inconvenience to the Delhi residents and neighbourhood states. It adds that there are financial loss incurred by people and government in any agitation.
- Feb 03, 2021 11:01 am IST
Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai move SC against FIR
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai move Supreme Court against FIRs over their "misleading" tweets on violence during farmers' rally in Delhi.
- Feb 03, 2021 10:52 am IST
Police identifies person who hoisted flag at Red Fort ramparts
A police officer, who wished not to be named, said Jugraj Singh from Tarn Taran in Punjab has been identified as the one who hoisted a farmers' union flag and a religious flag at the Red Fort's ramparts during the January 26 violence.
- Feb 03, 2021 10:27 am IST
Delhi Police announces ₹1 lakh reward
Delhi Police announces ₹1 lakh reward for information leading to arrest of Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh in Republic Day violence. People who give information on Jajbir Singh, Buta singh, Sukhdev Singh and Iqbal Singh will get 50,000.
- Feb 03, 2021 09:51 am IST
SC to hear petitions for probe into R-Day tractor rally violence today
The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, will hear a clutch of petitions demanding investigations into the tractor rally violence in the Capital on Republic Day. Read more
- Feb 03, 2021 07:32 am IST
Delhi police seize 14 tractors over R-Day violence
The Delhi Police said they have seized 14 tractors, while more than 80 tractors have been identified for allegedly being part of the farmers’ tractor rally, which had turned violent in the national capital on Republic Day. Read more
- Feb 03, 2021 07:29 am IST
Govt has time till October: Tikait
Farmer leader and spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait gives ultimatum to government. "We have given the govt time till October. If they do not listen to us, we will go on a pan-country tractor rally of 40 lakh tractors," said Tikait.
- Feb 03, 2021 07:16 am IST
Twitter restores 'withheld' accounts
Twitter has restored several accounts it had “withheld” after the government had asked it to take action against 250 handles which had posted “false and provocative content” related to the ongoing farmers' agitation, PTI reported.