JOIN USFarm Laws: Farmers set for 'historic' Republic Day tractor rally
Farmers have chalked out elaborate plans to carry out tractor parades on Republic Day with Delhi Police on Saturday giving permission to them for the same as the standoff between protesting farmer unions and the government over the contentious farm laws continued even after 11 rounds of talks during two-month-long agitation.
After a meeting between the farmer unions and the police, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said, "The tractor parades will start from the Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri border points of Delhi. Route details will be finalised tonight."
Kohar claimed that the Delhi Police has given its nod to the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day in the national capital.
However, there was no official confirmation about the permission from Delhi Police which maintained that farmers have not given their final route in writing as yet.
Still, promising that the tractor rally on January 26 will be historic.
Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said there will be "complete ban on participation of leaders of political parties and their flags".
"All attempts are being made to prevent farmers from entering Delhi through multiple barricades and check posts. Let the government make all out efforts to obstruct the farmers from reaching the national capital but it can not stop the farmers from celebrating Swabhiman Divas on Republic Day. Farmers are angry with the government's negative and arrogant attitude and are standing to fight for its rights," BKU's Dharmendra Malik said in a press statement.
Farmer leaders huddled into back to back meetings on Saturday a day after they rejected the government's "best" proposal to put on hold for one and half years the implementation of the three laws and insisted on the repeal of the laws, clear indications emerged that an early resolution is not in sight with farmers prepared for a long haul and the government also unwilling to concede further.
Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni Gurnam Singh Chaduni, another farmer leader from Haryana while that as thousands of farmers will participate in the parade, there will be no single route. He at the same time also appealed to farmers and their supporters protesting the Centre's contentious farm laws not to oppose ministers or political leaders at Republic Day events in the state.
In the meantime, 32 farmer Unions from Punjab held a meeting earlier in the day on the future plans of farmer agitation. Later the Samyukta Morcha of 40 farmer Unions leading the protests at several Delhi border points, held hours-long meetings to decide a response on the government's appeal. The government had asked farmer leaders to revert by Saturday in case they agree to its proposal to suspend the legislations for 18 months
Farmer leaders had, however, made it clear on Friday itself that they would settle for nothing less than a complete repeal of the laws.
In the meanwhile the Opposition Congress on Saturday carried out a massive protest in Madhya Pradesh, which had in past recorded farm protests is a key agriculture state The police used tear gas shells and water cannons as Congress leaders and workers in Madhya Pradesh marched towards the Raj Bhavan here in a bid to gherao it.