Tuesday saw a flashback of the 2020-21 protest with tear gas being used to stop the farmers.
New Delhi:
Protesting farmers will soon resume their march towards Delhi after a night halt. A fresh attempt will be made to push forward against a huge security deployment to reach the capital with a list of their key demands.
Here are the top 10 points in this big story:
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The farmers, who had declared a “ceasefire” last night, said today they will resume their march to Delhi as the government was not listening to their demands. They have also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to solve their problems.
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Delhi’s border points, which link the city with its key satellite towns, are choked. Traffic is heavy on both sides of the DND flyover due to checking, Delhi Traffic Police said this morning, advising commuters between Delhi and Noida to take alternative routes like the Chilla Border route.
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Tuesday saw a flashback of the 2020-21 protest with tear gas and water cannons being used to prevent the farmers from crossing the Punjab-Haryana border. The protest three years ago had lasted 13 months, choking the Delhi borders.
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The farmers say they are prepared for the long haul and have enough diesel to reach Delhi and ration to last six months. A farmer told NDTV they won’t return until their demands are met, even if it takes months.
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The farmers are protesting over a list of demands. The government has accepted most of their demands, except three key ones – a law on MSP, farm loan waiver and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendation.
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The government yesterday called for more talks to resolve the deadlock, but the farmers allege they are just wasting their time and have no intention of meeting their demands.
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Union Minister Anurag Thakur yesterday said talks are taking time because the farmers are making new demands. He urged them not to indulge in violence and arson, and invited them for a new round of dialogue.
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The police have fortified Delhi, barricading borders with concrete blocks and tyre deflators. But the first line of defence was at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, where the action played out yesterday.
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Public gatherings have been banned in entire Delhi for a month and restrictions imposed on vehicle movements across the border. The police are also checking all vehicles to ensure protesters are able to cross into the city.
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These and multiple diversions on border points connecting Delhi with its satellite towns led to a traffic nightmare yesterday. Commuters, mostly office goers, were stuck for hours at different city border points due to a crawling traffic.
