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‘Planning to block remaining roads of Delhi,’ say farmers as protests intensify
The call for Bharat Bandh has been supported by various other farmers’ organisations. Hannan Mollah, general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said, “We need to take this protest forward. Government has to take back the farm laws.”
As the deadlock between farmers and the Centre continues over the farm law, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) - which is spearheading the protests - on Friday said that they are planning to block remaining roads of national capital Delhi if the government fails to pay heed to their demands. In an announcement from Singhu border which connects Delhi and Haryana, BKU General Secretary Harvinder Singh Lakhwal called for a Bharat Bandh on December 8 if the government does not withdraw contentious farm laws, enacted in September.
“We have planned to block all roads leading to Delhi in the coming days if new farm laws are not scrapped,” said Lakhwal.
“Yesterday (Thursday), we told the Government that the farm laws should be withdrawn. On December 5, effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be burnt across the country,” news agency ANI quoted Ladkhwal as saying. “We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8,” he added.
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The call for Bharat Bandh has been supported by various other farmers’ organisations. Hannan Mollah, general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said, “We need to take this protest forward. Government has to take back the farm laws.”
Thousands of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against the three farm laws. During the protests, farmers are camping in and around Delhi borders due to which several roads connecting Delhi with its neighbouring states have been blocked. As per the latest traffic advisory, vehicular movement is shut at Singhu (epicenter of protests) and Tikri borders as farmers remain firm to protest against the farm laws.
Meanwhile, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre on Thursday. Though the talks were not able to break the logjam, the government moved a step forward by agreeing to review the three farm laws. The next round of talks will take place on December 5.
After Thursday’s talks, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said that the government has no ego and it was discussing the issues raised by farmers with an open mind.
“The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions is held on Saturday,” the minister had said.
The farmers are protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
