The Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest at border points in New Delhi has entered its 20th day. Farm unions have intensified the stir in several parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh by organising demonstrations and triggering traffic snarls.
Checkout the recent developments regarding the agitation:
Hunger strike
Farmer leaders went on a daylong hunger strike and held demonstrations across the nation on Monday in an attempt to push the government to dissolve the new agri laws.
Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party extended support to the farmers by fasting with them. Kejwiral advocated his party’s supporters to join the agitation and urged PM Modi to “shun arrogance” and agree to the demands of the farmers.
Farm union leaders’ upcoming meet
Farmer union leaders will be meeting at Singhu border on Tuesday, to discuss the proposal given by the Centre to allay their fears. Farmers have maintained if the government does not budge on their demands, more farmers will join the stir at Delhi borders.
Appeal by Nitin Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said dialogue was the only way forward to end the stalemate with the protesting farmers even as he urged them to understand the laws and not be misguided.
He said: “Our government is dedicated to farmers and is ready to accept the suggestions given by them. There will not be any injustice with farmers in our government. There are some elements who are trying to misguide farmers by misusing this protest. This is wrong. Farmers should try to understand the three laws.”
PM Modi to meet farmers in Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with members of the farming community in Gujarat’s Kutch on Tuesday. The PM will hold talks with the farmers to dispel their misconceptions over the new laws.
According to a release by the state government’s information department, a group of Sikh farmers settled in areas near the Indo-Pak border has been invited for an interaction with Modi.
Rahul Gandhi’s jibe at Modi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP government over the farmers’ protest after several party leaders claimed “Khalistani elements” had penetrated the movement.
Responding to this, Rahul said: “For Modi Govt: Dissenting students are anti-nationals. Concerned citizens are urban naxals. Migrant labourers are COVID-19 carriers. Rape victims are nobody. Protesting farmers are Khalistani. And Crony capitalists are best friends.”
Farmers’ apology for road blockage
With some key roads blocked for several days now due to their protest against the three new agriculture laws, an umbrella body of farmers on Monday apologised with “folded hands” to people for the inconvenience caused to them but said they were carrying out the demonstration “out of compulsion”.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, which is spearheading the protests at Delhi border points, distributed handbills in Hindi to commuters. The pamphlets read: “Blocking roads, causing inconvenience to the public is not our aim. We are sitting here under a compulsion. Yet we apologise with folded hands if our agitation has caused you any inconvenience.”
Diljit Dosanjh’s stance on farmers’ ‘pizza party’
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh slammed those criticising the protest after pizzas were distributed among demonstrators last week.
The 36-year-old, who has been backing the biggest farmers’ agitation in years, said: “Farmers consuming poison was never a concern but farmers eating pizza is news.”
