Agitating farmers call off protest a day after violent clashes

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3

 A day after they  clashed with the police at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, agitating  farmers today  ended their 10-day Kisan Kranti Yatra at Kisan Ghat 

 The farmers, who were marching under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), were allowed to enter the city post midnight after several rounds of negotiations. Earlier, talks between the government and agitating farmers had failed.

Festering problems in the agriculture sector has yesterday resulted in thousands of farmers clashing with the police on the Delhi-UP border while attempting to force their way into the capital.

The police used tear gas shells and water cannons to prevent farmers from ramming tractor-trailers into barricades at the Ghazipur crossing. Vehicular traffic on the busy Delhi-Meerut Expressway remained paralysed. 

The police action attracted criticism, with Opposition parties saying the farmers were on their way to raise genuine grievances, but were subjected to harsh measures.

 Under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), farmers had started arriving at the entry point to Delhi since Monday evening. This morning, the police blocked them from proceeding towards Rajghat, the proposed site of protest.

The BKU had later said the Centre had assured it would file a review petition against the National Green Tribunal order banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles and include farmers in the committee formed by UP for linking MNREGA to farm work. They also sought budget announcement of cost-plus 50 per cent minimum support price for rabi crops, firm measures for procurement and advising states to ensure fair prices for farm produce.

They called for an early meeting of the GST Council to fix 5 per cent tax for all products used for agriculture and a law to prevent import of crops produced in surplus.

The Delhi Police denied any lathicharge, saying seven cops got injured while trying to control farmers who insisted on entering on tractor-trailers, banned in the city.