Farmer unions have called for a fast on 30 January, saying they will mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as 'Sadbhavna Diwas'.
Meanwhile, Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said he would be calling off his indefinite fast against the new farm laws and claimed that the Central government has agreed to some of his demands.
Earlier on Friday, tensions rose at the Singhu border protest site – days after the tractor rally violence – as a group of people claiming to be locals purportedly threw stones and vandalised tents of protesting farmers. The police resorted to lathi-charge and used tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
According to reports, a group of people claiming to be locals have been protesting at the site demanding that the area be vacated.
A day earlier, there were tensions at the Ghazipur protest site, as the UP Police gave an ultimatum to vacate the area. However, the protesters refused to end the agitation, and more farmers joined in after an emotional speech by Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait.
- Several farmers at Ghazipur border told The Quint that they immediately left their villages to join the protest as they “could not see Tikait saab in tears.”
- Several AAP leaders on Friday, including Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, cabinet minister Satyendra Jain and MLA Raghav Chadha, reached different protest sites to inspect water and electricity arrangements
- BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s emotional outburst on the evening of 28 January proved to be a major turning point in the farmers’ protests
- Twitter has so far suspended over 500 accounts promoting hate and violence, in the backdrop of the 26 January violence
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Traffic Movement Open on NH-9 & NH-24
Traffic movement is now open on NH-9 and NH-24 on carriageway going towards Ghaziabad, Delhi Traffic Police says.
IJU Expresses Concern Over UP’s Misuse of Sedition Law
The Indian Journalists Union has issued a statement, expressing concern over the “undue haste” shown by the UP government and its police while ‘targeting’ journalists and booking them under sedition laws.
The IJU President and former member of Press Council of India, Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General and IFJ Vice President Sabina Inderjit stated that “the UP government’s record of intimidation of journalists and misusing the sedition law is getting worse, revealing contempt for press freedom and freedom of expression.”
Shiromani Akali Dal Appeals To Workers To Join Farmers' Protests At Delhi Borders
The Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday appealed to its workers to reach the three main farmers' protest sites near Delhi - Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur - to support the agitation against the central agriculture laws, and alleged the centre has been trying to "crush" the protests by unfair means, NDTV reports.
44 People Arrested In Connection With Violence at Singhu Today
44 persons including one person who reportedly attacked the SHO Alipur have been arrested in connection with violence at Singhu border on Friday, the Delhi Police said.
The Delhi police had earlier said that Alipur SHO Pradeep Paliwal was injured after he intervened between protesting farmers and locals protesting at the site.
“SHO Alipur, Delhi intervened between rioting protestors (MKSC faction) and ocal Singhu villagers, who had gone to register their protest against happenings on Republic Day and continued loss of ordinary livelihoods for over two months. SHO suffered grievous injuries on his hand,” the statement by Delhi police said.