After police granted permission to the ‘farmers’ to carry out a tractor rally at Delhi on Republic Day, the protesting ‘farmer’ unions have announced that they would march on foot to Parliament on February 1, the day when Union Budget will be presented.
“On 1 February, we will march on foot towards Parliament in Delhi from different locations,” said Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union on Monday.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1353680905936674817?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwProtesters to carry out Tractor rally in New Delhi on Republic Day
The announcement came a day before the proposed tractor march by ‘farmers’ on Republic Day in the national capital. The farmers would reportedly take out a massive rally after the Republic Day parade tomorrow. The number of tractors participating in the rally has not been declared yet.
Delhi Police on Sunday granted the permission to carry out a march in Delhi on Republic Day, with adequate security arrangements in place. Three routes were finalised following a week of meetings between farmers and senior police officers.
In his press conference, Special CP (Intelligence) Dependra Pathak said, “We held discussions with Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders and there’s an agreement that they will carry out their march after Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath. There should be no disturbance during the parade. We will provide them with adequate security; their march will be peaceful and they will return to the border at the end.”
However, the routes have become another bone of contention between the farmers’ unions and the Delhi Police. The farmer unions claim that the permitted routes were not the same as decided by them earlier.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar Singh said the Union Government’s offer of suspending the Farm Bills for 1.5 years was the “best offer” and hoped that the protesting farmer unions will soon reconsider it and convey their decision.