Farmers call for 'Kisaan Parade' on Republic Day if demands not met

Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said it is a 'plain lie' that the government had accepted 50 per cent of the farmers' demands

Stepping up pressure, agitating farmers on Saturday threatened to hold a ‘Kisaan Parade’ in the national capital on Republic Day if the Modi government did not agree to their demand for the repeal of the farm laws passed in September 2020.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of the agitating farmers’ organisations, made the announcement of parallel Republic Day celebrations at a press conference here ahead of Monday’s talks with the government.

The agitating farmers also announced a series of programmes from January 6 to January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

“We call on all the farmers to come to Delhi with their tractors and farm vehicles. The dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade will be held on January 6 by way of a tractor rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway,” Darshan Pal, President of the Krantikari Kisan Union told reporters.

The seventh round of formal talks between the Centre and the agitating farmers are scheduled for Monday, while the Supreme Court is hearing a bunch of petitions on the farm laws on Tuesday, January 5.

Farmers' protest live updates on DH

In the previous talks on December 30, the agitating farmers and the government had reached a consensus on decriminalising stubble burning offences and addressing farmers’ concerns on subsidies while amending the Electricity Act.

The agitating farmers also presented their action plan from January 6, which includes a nationwide campaign to counter the "government's propaganda" through rallies, conferences and demonstrations across the country.

“We will also observe the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as Azad Hind Kisan Diwas and carry out protests outside the governor’s residences in state capitals across the country,” Pal said at a joint press conference with six other leaders of farmers’ unions.

“We intend to stay peaceful, we will not engage in any confrontation. But if the government chooses to use police, that is their choice,” Balbir Singh Rajewal, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union-Rajewal said.