Security beefed up at Delhi's Jantar Mantar as farmers begin protest

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, July 22

Following the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmer leaders on Thursday staged a protest against the three central farm laws.

As many as 200 protesting farmers from various organisations led by union leaders, including Hanan Molla, Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav, Manjeet Singh Rai, Ruldu Singh Mansa and Shiv Kumar ‘Kakka’, reached Jantar Mantar in five buses.

Farmers of various organisations from Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and other states have also moved towards Delhi.

Rakesh Tikait, SKM leader, reiterated that the protests would be peaceful and they would hoist the National Flag on Independence Day.

Yogendra Yadav, another SKM leader, said, "We are going peacefully to protest at Parliament and to tell the government about our objections today. Wherever the police will stop us, we will start our ‘Kisan sansad'."

Thousands of farmers were protesting at Singhu, Tikri, Shazanpur and Ghazipur borders in Delhi for the past eight months against the three farm laws enacted by the Union Government and for legal guarantee for the MSP.

Meanwhile, security at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi has been tightened in view of the protest amid the monsoon session of Parliament, officials said. Adequate security arrangements have been made and police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed, they said.

Jantar Mantar is metres away from Parliament House where the monsoon session is under way.

Farmers will hold protest at Jantar Mantar till 5 pm. with PTI inputs