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Tractor march: Farmers block highway linking Delhi,heavy traffic at Noida border
The tractor march is being taken out by farmers affiliated with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait and BKU Lokshakti.
Traffic was disrupted as farmers took out a tractor march in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Hapur and Amroha, blocking the left lane of highways by parking their tractors.
In Meerut, the farmers and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) activists jammed the NH 58 at Mohiuddinpur. The BKU has given call to park tractors at Highways to express their solidarity with farmers protesting in Punjab and Haryana for their demands.
Tikait on Monday said the tractor march is being carried out so that the Narendra Modi government listens to them and not forget the farmers.
“A programme to take out a 'Tractor chain' has been decided. Tractors will be parked on the highway that leads to Delhi, especially the divider highway...It was decided to register a different kind of protest so that the government would listen to us and not forget the farmers,” Tikait, who was at the forefront of the 2020-21 agitation against the Centre's now repealed farm laws, told ANI.
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“We had gone to Chandigarh for a meeting of Sanyukt Morcha. We have formed a 6-member committee. It has been formed to hold dialogues with all the farmer organisations that are separate from Sanyukt Morcha...If any organisation wants to join the Sanyukt Morcha, it can have a dialogue with the committee,” he added.
The tractor march is being taken out by farmers affiliated with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Tikait and BKU Lokshakti.
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“We (farmers) have not received a message (from the government) yet. The path to having a dialogue is always open. We are protesting here to have a conversation. So, whenever there will be one, we will attend the meeting,” a farmer leader was quoted by PTI as saying during a press conference.
Traffic likely to be hit on Delhi-Noida border
Traffic is likely to be affected at the Delhi-Noida border on Monday in view of a proposed tractor march of farmers to the national capital, officials told PTI. Farmers have planned a protest march on tractors via the Yamuna Expressway, Luharli toll plaza and Mahamaya flyover.
The Delhi Police has intensified checking at the border by putting up barricades. There was heavy traffic at the Chilla border from Delhi towards Noida due to the checking.
According to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police, intensive checking will be conducted by the Delhi Police as well as the district police by installing barriers at all the border points between the national capital and Noida, and traffic will be diverted in accordance with the situation.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest march is being spearheaded by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The agitation is taking place to put pressure on the Centre to accept farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm loan waiver.
The farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points of Punjab's border with Haryana since February 13, when their march was stopped by security personnel.
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The farmers will continue to stay put at the two border points till February 29, when the next course of action will be decided, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher was quoted by PTI as sauing.
Farmer leaders had on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri.
(With bureau and agency inputs)
