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DELHI CHALO PROTEST

Union ministers appeal to farmers to stop agitation, come for talks; organisations decide to stay put at Delhi borders

Farmers are demanding permission to move to either Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Ground to register their protest



Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Bathinda, November 28

Union ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah, appear to have called up farmer leaders to convince them to proceed to the Nirankari Ground in Burari. This has been claimed by several organisations camping on the Delhi borders.

However, so far, they have not been able to convince farmers who believe that moving to Burari would adversely affect their current advantageous position on the highways and weaken the agitation against the three “black farm laws”.

Delhi police deployed at Singhu border. Tribune Photo

Farmers are demanding permission for either Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Ground to register their protest.

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BKU Ekta Ugrahan, too, has refused to go to Burari Maidan to protest.

In a decision that could further complicate the situation for the BJP-led Centre, the Jathebandis are said to have decided to stay at borders.

Farmers shout slogans during the Delhi Chalo protest at Singhu border near Delhi on Saturday. Tribune Photo

Farmers say they will seal the borders and hold a meeting every day to decide the next course of action and added that they were ready to stay put at the borders for “as long as it takes”.

The decision has been taken by the 30 jathebandis. 

BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan has claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah called him and asked him to stage the protest at Burari Maidan but he refused his proposal asking him to give farmers the permission to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar.

Joginder said they would not go to Burari Maidan. He added: “Five hundred farmer organisations had called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar and they will reach there at any cost. If they were stopped, they would block the roads of Delhi by staging a dharna.”

He demanded immediate reconsideration of the application submitted by the 500 farmer organisations for the approval of the demonstration which was rejected by Delhi Police.

Farmers burn the effigy of Prime Minister during the Delhi Chalo protest at Singhu border on Saturday. Tribune Photo

Giving an ultimatum to the Centre, he said if it did not approve the earlier application of the farmer organisations till Sunday, they would take the next decision on the spot and reach Jantar Mantar in any case.

Langar served to protesting farmers. Tribune Photo

“They should come to us and take back the ‘three black Acts’,” farmers said.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar again appealed to farmers to stop the agitation and come for scheduled talks on December 3.

Tomar asked the political parties to stop playing politics on the issue of agriculture laws.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGMC) said they would standby and provide langar to agitating farmers till the time they continue their agitation.

“This is an agitation of farmers, not any political party,” said Manjinder Singh Sirsa of the DSGMC.