After midnight march, the farmers called off their protest at Delhi’s Kisan Ghat, the memorial of Chaudhary Charan Singh, in the wee hours of Wednesday, 3 October.
The Central government allowed the farmers to enter the national capital in the early hours of Wednesday, ending the prolonged standoff between the police personnel and protesting farmers.
Earlier on Tuesday, as thousands of farmers tried to enter Delhi as part of ‘Kisan Kranti Padyatra’, police stopped them on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, triggering violence that left some of them injured.
Despite Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s assurance of “agreeing on most issues”, the farmers had earlier said they will not accept government assurance and will go ahead with the protest.
- The ‘Kisan Kranti Padyatra’ that started on 23 September ended at Delhi’s Kisan Ghat
- Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers
- The Delhi police issued a statement saying the protesters turned violent despite requesting them to wait for the outcome of talks with the ministers
- The demands raised by farmers are implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission report, farm loan waiver, free electricity to farmers and allowing power connections to farmers to run tubewells
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Kisan Kranti Padyatra’ Ends at Delhi’s Kisan Ghat
Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Naresh Tikait, over 200 tractors carrying thousands of farmers reached Kisan Ghat in Delhi. Tikait declared it as the "victory of farmers" and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has failed in its "motives".
"The farmers remained unfazed despite all the hardships. We have been marching for 12 days now, farmers are tired as well. We will continue to demand our rights to the government but for now we are ending the march," Tikait told IANS at Kisan Ghat.
He said the farmers will be returning early morning on Wednesday.
Amid massive deployment of security personnel at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border, the farmers reinforced their march to the national capital after obtaining necessary permissions from the administration.
Shouting anti-BJP slogans, the farmers, with blisters on feet, reached Kisan Ghat at around 2 am on Wednesday.
Delhi Police Opens Barricades at Delhi-UP Border, Farmers Head Towards Kisan Ghat
Delhi Police on late Tuesday night opened barricades at Delhi - Uttar Pradesh border – allowing the entrance of farmers who were stopped during 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra' earlier in the day.
Visuals from the Delhi - UP border.
(Photo: ANI)
The farmers are now heading towards Kisan Ghat.
Rapid Action Force Arrives at UP-Delhi Border
Rapid Action Force arrives at UP-Delhi border where farmers have been stopped during 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra', ANI reported.
Schools, Colleges to Remain Closed in Ghaziabad
All schools and colleges in Ghaziabad will remain closed on Wednesday as a preventive measure in view of the ongoing farmers agitation, ANI reported.