Will march to Parliament on Budget Day, say farmers
Around 2L tractors expected to join Heavy security in Delhi, its borders
New Delhi, Jan. 25: Ahead of their proposed tractor parade on Republic Day, protesting farmer unions on Monday announced they will march towards Parliament from different locations on February 1 when the annual Union Budget is scheduled to be presented.
Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union said that the protesting farmers remain firm in their stand of repealing the three new farm laws and their agitation will continue till their demands are met.
"We will march towards Parliament on foot from different locations on the Budget day on February 1. As far as tomorrow's tractor rally is concerned, it will give the government an idea of our strength and they will know the agitation is not just limited to Haryana or Punjab but it is an agitation of the whole country," he said.
Every march or protest will be peaceful as the movement has been so far, he said.
"The farmers who have come for the tractor parade will not go back now and will join the protest. The agitation will continue till our demands met. Our stand remains the same," Mr Pal told a press conference, sharing the farmers' plans to intensify the protest.
Protesting farmer unions opposing the three contentious farm laws said their parade will not enter central Delhi.
New Delhi, Jan. 25: Thousands of farmers will enter the national capital on their tractors under heavy security on Republic Day, even as they announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is presented, to press for their demands including a repeal of the three new agriculture laws.
Heavy security has been deployed in view of the unprecedented “Kisan Gantantra Parade” that will move into Delhi from three border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur (UP Gate).
The farmer unions protesting for nearly two months against the three new Central farm laws said on Monday their tractor parade will start only after the official Republic Day parade on Rajpath concludes.
They claimed around two lakh tractors are expected to participate in the parade in a show of strength and support.
Addressing a press conference at Sinhu border here on Monday, senior union leader Darshan Pal announced the farmers will also organise a foot march to Parliament from different locations on the Budget day, a move being seen as a pressure tactic.
Mr Pal, who is a member of the Krantikari Kisan Union, said the protesting farmers remain firm in
their stand of repealing the three new farm laws and their agitation will continue till their demands are met.
"We will march towards Parliament on foot from different locations on the budget day on February 1. As far as tomorrow's tractor rally is concerned, it will give the government an idea of our strength and they will know the agitation is not just limited to Haryana or Punjab but it is an agitation of the whole of the country," he said.
Every march or protest will be peaceful as the movement has been so far, he said.
"The farmers who have
come for the tractor parade will not go back now and will join the protest. The agitation will continue till our demands met. Our stand remains the same," Pal told reporters, sharing the farmers' plans to intensify the protest.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been campaing at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
The police, meanwhile, said thousands of security personnel have been
already deployed at several border points to maintain law and order during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday.
In a circular, Delhi police commissioner S.N. Srivastava directed all officers, jawans and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, posted for the Republic Day Parade security arrangements to be prepared for an extended deployment to maintain law and order in the wake of the tractor parade.
The traffic Police asked commuters to avoid routes where protesting farmers will conduct their tractor parade on Republic Day.