Kisan rally: 20,000 farmers march to Delhi with 15 demands
Kisan rally: 20,000 farmers march to Delhi with 15 demands A massive march of farmers will seek to enter the national capital from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday to press for their 15-point charter of demands. The Delhi Police has set up heavy barricading on the borders and imposed prohibitory orders across east and northeast Delhi. An estimated 20,000 farmers, led by Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, are marching from Haridwar to New Delhi with their demands like loan waivers, clearance of pending sugarcane payments and implementation of the Swaminathan Committee Report. “We will continue our march till our demands are met. The talks (with the ministers) should go on. Whenever we feel that our work is done, we will stop our protest. If farmers are given an assurance, they will be happy. We have already given four years to the government to meet our demands. It is time that our demands are met,” Tikait said. The farmers have also demanded loan waivers and free electricity for running tubewells. The other demands include the assurance of a minimum income for farmers and a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 for small and marginal farmers who completed 60 years of age. “A large number of protesters are likely to reach Delhi from bordering areas of east district. This may create law and order situation and may create chaos and endanger human life and property in the area,” said deputy commissioner of police (east) Pankaj Singh. With protesters are moving towards the national capital in hundreds of tractor-trolleys and private vehicles, he said: “There is a possibility that they might be carrying sticks/lathis/cans and possibility of them turning unruly on slightest provocation cannot be ruled out”. Areas such as Preet Vihar, Jagatpuri, Shakarpur, Madhu Vihar, Ghazipur, Mayur Vihar, Mandawli, Pandav Nagar, Kalyanpuri and New Ashok Nagar police station limits will be the worst affected by this. Police said that spillover jams are also likely to be seen around Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar phases-I and II, Akshardham Road and Vikas Marg. The Delhi Traffic Police also warned the commuters that the traffic is likely to be thrown out of gear in south Delhi. -PTC News
