The Delhi government has granted permission to farmers to organise a protest in the national capital's Jantar Mantar on 22 July as long as COVID protocols are followed.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has permitted farmers to stage protest at Jantar Mantar between 11 am & 5 pm from 22 July to 9 August, reported news agency ANI.
The protest is allowed to have a maximum of 200 protestors at a given time.
Special CP (Crime) Satish Golcha & Joint CP Jaspal Singh of Delhi Police visited Jantar Mantar ahead of the protest. The police has also allowed permission for the protest, reported NDTV, quoting sources.
"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," said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader, Rakesh Tikait.
The DDMA has changed its guidelines with regard to COVID gatherings in view of this protest, said the NDTV report.
The farmers are planning to hold a Kisan Sansad (Farmer's Parliament).
"Everything will be like Parliament. There will be a Speaker, a Deputy Speaker, a tea break etc. This Parliament will surely take place," said Manjit Singh Rai, a member of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba), to NDTV.
"We have asked farmers to prepare themselves to be jailed for up to six months. Despite that, there is eagerness among them to go for the march," said Raminder Patiala of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
The Delhi Police is taking added precautions to ensure that the protests don't go out of hand like they did on 26 January.
At the Singhu border, the police have used cement and concertina, as an abovementioned precaution.
Both the police and paramilitary forces will be deployed at the protest venue.
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV)
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