On July 21, Delhi Government granted permission to the protesting ‘farmers’ to stage demonstrations at Jantar Mantar to demand scrapping of three agriculture laws that were enacted in September 2020. As per reports, the farmers would travel to Jantar Mantar from the Singhu border in buses with Police escort.
On Tuesday, farmer unions had announced that they would hold a Kisan Parliament at Jantar Mantar during the monsoon session, and 200 protesters from the Singhu border would attend it every day from July 22. The union leaders had promised Delhi Police officials that they would hold peaceful demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and no protesters would go to Parliament.
Our 200 people will go from Singhu border in 4-5 buses tomorrow. We'll gather (from different protest sites) at Singhu border & head towards (Jantar Mantar). We'll protest at Jantar Mantar until the Monsoon session of Parliament is over: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait pic.twitter.com/RiIfNbecAC
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2021
PTI quoted Shiv Kumar Kakka, national president, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh saying that 200 farmers would go to Jantar Mantar every day from July 22, wearing identification badges, to hold the protest. He added, “When police asked us to reduce the number of protesters, we told them to focus on the law-and-order situation and also gave assurance that the protest will be peaceful.”
Delhi government grants permission to farmers to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar tomorrow, subject to following all COVID protocols: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2021
As per Delhi Police, no written permission has been granted for protesting near the Parliament. However, Special CP (crime) and Joint CP visited Jantar Mantar where the protest is scheduled to be held tomorrow. In a follow-up tweet, ANI quoted unnamed sources and said Delhi Government granted permission provided farmers follow Covid-19 protocols.
Republic Day Riots
On January 26, so-called protesting farmers entered Delhi on the pretext of Tractor Rally using unauthorized routes. They caused property damage worth crores and injured over 300 police personnel. A group of protestors had reached Red Fort and hoisted two flags with the Sikh Holy symbol. Notably, terrorist organization Sikhs For Justice had announced a cash reward for anyone who hoists such flags on Red Fort. There have been several reports suggesting Khalistan separatists and Naxal sympathizers have infiltrated the farmer protests.
The farmers claim to be protesting against three farm laws that are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They claim that these laws are against farmers, but in reality, these farms provide better markets and freedom to the farmers from the monopoly of Mandis.
So far, the government has had over ten rounds of talks with the farmer unions, but the deadlock still persists between the two parties. The farmer leaders have now shown interest in contesting elections in Punjab.
