More Punjab farmers head towards protest sites near Delhi

Carrying ration and other essential items with them, several batches of farmers from Punjab headed towards Delhi borders on Saturday to join the peasants protesting against the Centre's new agriculture-related laws for a month now.

According to farmer union leaders, peasants from various places including Sangrur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Bathinda districts were headed towards Singhu and Tikri borders.

They began their journey despite fog and biting cold wave conditions in many parts of Punjab on Saturday.

Tractor trollies, cars and other vehicles carrying farmers, including elderly and women, were seen on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway, proceeding towards the borders with the national capital.

It seemed the farmers were prepared for a long haul as they carried their ration and other essentials in their trollies.

"We will rest only when the Modi government repeals the farm laws," said an elderly farmer headed from Amritsar to the protest site near Singhu border.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), one of Punjab's largest farmer organisations protesting against the recent laws, claimed that thousands of farmers will march from the Khanauri and Dabwali borders towards protest sites near the national capital.

The outfit's General Secretary Sukhdev Singh said that many women are also part of the fresh batches of farmers.

On Friday too, several batches of farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) headed for the protest sites from Amritsar and other places.

Meanwhile, for a second day on Saturday toll collection was halted at several highway points in Haryana -- including in Karnal, Sirsa, Rohtak and Jhajjar districts -- by the farmers protesting against the new agriculture-related laws.

Responding to a call given by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, farmers had on Friday halted toll collection on most highways in Haryana.

Officials said toll collection remained halted at several toll points on Saturday too.

A few days ago, the BKU had announced that toll booths in Haryana would not be allowed to collect charges between December 25 and 27.

However, operations were normal at various toll plazas in Gurugram and Palwal districts.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country have been protesting for the past nearly a month near various border points of the national capital, demanding the repeal of the farm laws, which the ruling party has claimed are for farmers' benefit.