The agitating farmers at Ghazipur site. (PTI) Kisan Andolan 2020 Live, Farmers Protest in Delhi Live Updates: Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Rakesh Tikait today said that the agiation against farm laws will not end before October. “Our slogan is – ‘kanoon wapsi nahi, to ghar wapsi nahi’. This agitation will not conclude before October, it will not end anytime soon,” he said.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena leaders including party MPs Arvind Sawant and Sanjay Raut today met Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) border. After meeting Tikait, Raut said he gave his party’s message and expressed solidarity. “The Government should speak to farmers in a proper way. Ego would not help run the country,” Raut said.
A number of Opposition leaders today gave suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha over farm legislations. From Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma gave the suspension of business notices. They were followed by Manoj Jha of RJD. Manoj Jha gave notice for suspension of business under Rule 267 of Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States over farmers’ months-long protests in parts of the country, mainly Punjab, Haryana and Western UP.
Highlights
Farmers protests: Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava today defended barricading at Delhi borders. "I am surprised that when tractors were used, Police was attacked, barricades were broken on 26th no questions were raised. What did we do now? We have just strengthened barricading so that it's not broken again," he said.
Farmers protest: The Punjab government informs that of the persons from the state reported missing since the Republic Day violence in Delhi, 70 are in Delhi jails, while 14 of the remaining 19 missing had been located. The Punjab CM, who had yesterday announced helpline number ‘112’ for citizens to make complaints in this regard, told the all-party meeting that as per information received, 5 persons from Punjab are still missing.
Farmers protests: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said his government will bring the State Amendment Bills to negate the draconian Farm Laws again in the Vidhan Sabha since the Governor had failed to send the earlier Bills to the President.
Farm laws, farmers protest: Punjab all-party meeting has passed resolution, seeking immediate withdrawal of Farm Laws by Centre and statutory MSP. The resolution has condemned "sponsored violence in Delhi' and called for judicial probe into laxity/complexity of those responsible for law and order at Red Fort. The all-party meeting has also decided that an all-party delegation will go to Delhi to meet Prime Minister and raise the issue, along with other matters of concern on the farmers’ agitation.
Farmers' protests: There can be no "formal" talks with the government until "harassment" by police and administration stops and detained farmers are released, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said on Tuesday. In a statement, it alleged that increased barricading, including digging trenches, fixing nails on roads, setting up barbed-wire fences, closing internal roads, stopping Internet services and "orchestrating protests through BJP-RSS workers" are part of "attacks" being organised by the government, its police and administration against the farmers. The umbrella body of farmers' unions protesting the Central farm laws termed the "frequent Internet shutdown" at protest sites and blocking of many Twitter accounts related to the farmers movement "direct attack on democracy". "The SKM decided in its meeting on Monday that there can be no formal talks with the government until police and administration's harassment of different kinds against the farmers' movement is immediately stopped," the SKM said. It also said no formal proposal for talks has been received by it. "Though no formal proposal for talks came from the government, we clearly state that the talks will be held only after unconditional release of farmers who are in illegal police custody," the statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an all party meeting on Saturday had said the government's offer to suspend the farm laws for 18 months was still on the table and the Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar was just a phone call away to take the talks forward. The Morcha had reacted to Modi's statement by reiterating its demand for repeal of the three agri laws. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre and the police to take action in accordance with law in the FIRs registered in connection with the violence in the national capital on the Republic Day. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued the direction while dismissing a PIL seeking immediate release of persons allegedly illegally detained by police since January 26 in connection with the protests on the Republic Day. The court, while dismissing the petition, also observed that it appeared to be a 'publicity' interest litigation. The petitioner, a law graduate, claims that he has come to know through news reports and social activists that people were detained from the Singhu, Ghaziabad and Tikri borders. Harman Preet Singh had claimed in his petition, filed through advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh, that Delhi Police on January 27 said that it has detained over 200 persons in connection with the violence in the national capital on January 26 and 22 FIRs have also been registered thus far.
On Tuesday, during the hearing, advocate Ashima Mandla told the bench that according to news reports Delhi Police has lodged 44 FIRs in connection with the incident and around 120 persons have been detained. She had argued that not signing of arrest memos, or informing next of kin and not producing them before a magistrate "falls within the contours of illegal detention". The tractor parade on January 26 that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three new agri laws dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. (PTI)
AAP MP from Punjab Bhagwant Mann: Police have put nail barricades as if it was some rival army that they had to stop. Captain Amarinder Singh, you are the CM, you should be on the Delhi borders with farmers. Why don't you arrange a helpdesk for them and join them at the camps? When your family is in trouble, you write to Home Minister. Why don't you meet the Home Minister now? You had promised to meet PM Modi, when will you fulfil it? Why don't you be a negotiator? All of us should rise above politics and support farmers.
Rakesh Tikat: Our slogan is - 'kanoon wapsi nahi, to ghar wapsi nahi'. This agitation will not conclude before October, it will not end anytime soon.
Farmers protests: Amarainder Singh today chaired an all party meeting at Punjab Bhawan on the issue of farm Legislations and the way forward. On Twitter, he shared a video saying, "It is painful to see our farmers losing lives in this manner. We have lost 88 farmers during the struggle against these anti-farmer Laws. They died fighting for their rights. Observed 2 minutes silence and paid them our tributes before the start of the all-party meeting."
Farmers protests: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal's vehicle came under attack in Jalalabad, Punjab. As per ANI, Akali Dal claims that police backed Congress goons made an attempt on the life of Sukhbir Singh Badal. "Three party workers who jumped into the president's rescue received bullet injuries."
Farmers protests: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait says there is no problem if Opposition is coming to support farmers but it should not be politicised. "We can't do anything if leaders come. The traffic movement has not been blocked by farmers, it is because of the police barricading."
Leader of Congress Party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary and party Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Koddikunil Suresh have given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over Farm Laws.
Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut has given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha and demanding discussion on Republic Day violence in Delhi during farmers' tractor rally.
Farmers protests: Shiv Sena leaders including party MPs Arvind Sawant and Sanjay Raut today met Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) border. After meeting Tikait, Raut said he gave his party's message and expressed solidarity. "The Government should speak to farmers in a proper way. Ego would not help run the country," Raut said.
Farm laws: Congress and other opposition parties today forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha proceedings for the third time in the pre-noon session as they insisted on taking up a discussion on the issue of farmers' protest over the three new farm bills. The House was first adjourned for about 40 minutes till 10:30 am. As soon as the House met again, similar scenes were witnessed leading to another adjournment till 11:30 am. When the Upper House re-assembled at 11.30 am, the uproar continued as several protesting members trooped in Well prompting Deputy Chairman Harivansh to adjourn the proceedings till 12:30 pm. The Deputy Chairman appealed to the opposition members to return their seats and follow COVID-19 protocols. However, they did not heed to his requests. Congress, Left, TMC, DMK and RJD members first walked out from Rajya Sabha after their demand for suspension of business of the day for taking up the discussion was rejected by the Chair. Opposition members shouted slogans to disrupt the Question Hour, forcing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 10:30 am. (PTI)
Farmers protests: Latest visuals from Ghazipur border where farmers are protesting against farm laws.
Delhi Police fixed nails on the ground near barricades at Ghazipur, yesterday
Farmers protests: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab will not attend the all-party meeting that has been called by CM Captain Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh today.
Farmers protests: Police personnel continue to be deployed at Singhu border where farmers' protest against three farm laws enters day 69. Latest visuals from near the protest site.
Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh arrives at Punjab Bhawan. He has called an all-party meeting today to 'discuss the recent developments at the farmers' protest'.
Farmers protests, farm laws: Gazipur border is closed for traffic because of farmer protests. Take alternate route via Anand Vihar, Chilla, DND, Apsara, Bhopra and Loni borders, says Additional CP Traffic, Outer Range, Delhi.
Farmers' protest: CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim on Monday said his Twitter account was suspended during the day, after he compared the Union Budget with a trading platform, and slammed the Centre over its handling of the farmers stir. Salim told reporters that his account as well those of others were blocked temporarily, "at the behest of the IT department of the Centre". Twitter had blocked several accounts and tweets after the government asked the microblogging platform to take action against 250 handles and posts which contained "false and provocative content" related to the ongoing farmers' agitation. "To my knowledge, 250 twitter accounts, including mine, were blocked in the country. Accounts that shared posts with the 'farmergenocide' hashtag were targeted," he stated. The posts were, however, visible everywhere outside the country, he said. "This government does not want our voices to be heard by the people of the country. This government is scared of the agitating farmers," he said.