Thousands of farmers were allowed to enter Delhi on Friday after clashes with the police at the Haryana border this morning. The farmers — who are opposing the three central farm laws — have been granted permission to hold ‘peaceful protests’ at Nirankari Ground in North-West Delhi. However, farmers gathered at the Singhu border have not entered the city so far.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh welcomed the Centre’s decision to allow the agitating farmers to enter Delhi but slammed the ML Khattar government in Haryana for its continued use of brute force to stop farmers even after the Union Government’s conciliatory move.Earlier this morning, the farmers faced tear gas and water cannons at the Singhu and Tikri borders and clashed with police as they marched towards the national capital as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest. The Delhi government, meanwhile, denied permission to the Delhi Police to convert the city’s stadiums into temporary jails as protests gained momentum.
Meanwhile, protests erupted in Rohtak this morning after a 45-year-old farmer, part of Dilli Chalo march, died in a road accident. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU Dakaunda) alleged that the mishap occurred due to the hurdles set by the Haryana government to stop the march. Two farmers were also injured in the accident after a loaded trolley and a farmer’s tractor collided. The protesting farmers are now demanding 20 lakh compensation from the Haryana govt for the kin.Expressing shock at the methods used by the Khattar government in its bid to stop the farmers, including destruction of public property by digging up the national highway, Amarinder said, “The farmers did not inflict even an iota of damage to any public property over the past three months of their protest, and here is a state government that is brazenly and shamelessly digging up roads made of public money.”The Punjab CM also reiterated his appeal to the central government to initiate immediate talks to address farmers’ concerns and resolve the simmering issue. Having taken the first step towards finding a peaceful and amicable solution to the problem, the Centre should now move quickly towards holding further talks with the Kisan Unions to thrash out the problem triggered by the agricultural legislations, which have threatened the lives and livelihoods of the farmers, he said.
