NEW DELHI: On the International Day of Non-Violence, Gandhi’s birth anniversary, India’s farmers were stopped at Delhi’s border with a lathi charge, water cannons and tear gas shells by the capital’s police.
Around 50,000 farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) have started marching towards the national capital as a part of protest to demand loan waiver and reduction in electricity on October 2.
The police action led to several injuries while one of the protestors lost consciousness, said an agitating farmer. They also claimed that the policemen baton-charged to disperse the protestors.
The farmers, who were marching to Delhi from Haridwar under the banner of Kisan Kranti Yatra demanding complete loan waiver and reduction in electricity tariff among other, were stopped by police at the border near Ghaziabad.
The farmers mobilised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, dormant since 2011 when kisan leader Mahendra Singh Tikait died, clashed with the police that then resorted to violence to stop them from entering Delhi.
A delegation subsequently met the Union Home and Agriculture Ministers but on the ground the farmers were categorical that all negotiations will have to be on the street, and not behind closed doors.
Opposition leaders have come out in support of the farmers. The Congress has declared its intention to join the farmers agitation tomorrow.
Meanwhile, MoS for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that farmer leaders have met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the government has accepted most of their demands.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has criticised the government for resorting to violence on a day of non-violence.The Communist Party of India (CPI) also condemned the police action against the agitating farmers.
Several Opposition leaders including UP former CM Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader R Surjewala questioned on why farmers were not allowed to enter Delhi.
