Permission denied, SAD says today's Delhi march on

Farm law anniv: Police cite fear of violence, threat to peace; workers descend on national capital

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 16

Even as the Delhi Police have denied permission to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to Parliament on Friday, the defiant Akalis have announced their decision to go ahead with the march and court arrest.

The Akalis had earlier announced their decision to observe September 17 as “Black Day” to mark the completion of one year of the enactment of the three contentious farm laws. They plan to march from Gurdwara Rakabganj to Parliament demanding repeal of the three laws.

“This is highly undemocratic of the central government and the Delhi Police to stop our peaceful march to Parliament. We will go ahead with our plans in solidarity with farmers, who are protesting for the past one year against the laws,” said Daljit Singh Cheema, spokesperson of the SAD.

He also tweeted the Delhi Police had communicated earlier today about denial of permission to the march over fears of violence and disturbance to public peace and discomfort.

A large number of Akali workers have already reached Delhi, said a SAD leader. Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal will lead the march along with Bathinda MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Youth Akali Dal chief Parambans Singh Roman said young workers of the party were present in Delhi in large numbers. “Thousands of Youth Akali workers along with farmers have descended on Delhi for the September 17 march,” he said, adding several other ‘jathas’ were on the way.

The Akalis had announced the protest march on September 11 after various groups of farmers blocked their 100-day ‘Gal Punjab Di’ yatra led by Sukhbir in the state.

The Kisan Morcha leaders later held meetings with various political parties, including the Akalis, and asked them to defer election campaign till the elections schedule was announced. The farmers had objected to parties holding campaign for the Assembly 2022 elections while farmers were sitting on a dharna in Delhi seeking repeal of the three laws.

The Akalis subsequently called off the yatra and announced the march in solidarity with the farmers.

Undemocratic

“This is highly undemocratic of the Centre and Delhi Police to stop our peaceful march to Parliament. We will go ahead with our plans”

— Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD spokesperson