Farmers’ protest: Tractor rally to throw traffic out of gear on Delhi outskirts
The tractor rally is being organised by Sanyuta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella of 40 farmer unions. It will start from Ghaziabad and go to Palwal in Haryana and then return on the same route.
FollowNew Delhi: As the protest by the farmers camping at the borders of Delhi entered the 43rd day on Thursday, the leaders of the Farmer unions demanding the repeal of the three new farm laws and the procurement of crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be taking out ‘tractor march’ today.
Traffic is likely to be disrupted on the outskirts of Delhi as the protesters plan to carry out a tractor march on Thursday, converging on the eastern and western peripheral expressways that form a ring around the national Capital. The 135-km-long six-lane road connects Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The tractor rally is being organised by Sanyuta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella of 40 farmer unions. It will start from Ghaziabad and go to Palwal in Haryana and then return on the same route.
There will be diversions at several points on Eastern Peripheral Expressway today. Police in Gautam Buddh Nagar near Delhi have said vehicles won't be allowed to get on the expressway from Beel Akbarpur and Sirsa towards Palwal from 12 pm to 3 pm.
The tractor march comes a day ahead of another round of talks with the government over farmers’ demand for repeal of the three farm laws passed by the Centre in September. Last week, agitating farmers had announced that Thursday’s tractor march would be a ‘rehearsal’ of their march on Rajpath on January 26, Republic Day.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has been a vocal critic of the centre's farm laws, on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "bring in new laws after consultation with farmers" and resolve the months-long standoff.
"The farmers have made their stand very clear - that the laws should be repealed. It is the job of the government of India to listen to them. The centre can bring in new laws after due consultation with the farmers, " Captain Amarinder Singh appealed to the Prime Minister, pointing out that the "constitution has been amended many times and can be done again". In the last few weeks, PM Modi has several times spoken in favour of farm laws, saying these legislations have brought the much-needed reforms in the farm sector.
