Protesting farmers reject allegations they are blocking oxygen transport to Delhi

New Delhi, April 21

Farmers protesting at several Delhi borders on Wednesday rejected as "false propaganda" allegations that they were not letting medical oxygen carriers into Delhi, thus putting lives of several Covid patients at risk. 

BJP MP Parvesh Verma on Tuesday night had alleged that transportation of medical oxygen into Delhi was hampered due to the road blockade caused by protesters.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a representative body of several protesting farmer unions, said on Wednesday that they had kept a way open for emergency services since day one of their agitation.

"Not a single ambulance or essential goods service has been stopped. It is the government that has put strong and multilayer barricades (nails), not the farmers. Farmers are fighting for human rights and they support every human's rights," the morcha said.

"A false propaganda is being spread against farmers that they have blocked the roads and are not letting oxygen into Delhi. This is completely false news. Yes, we are protesting but not against Covid patients, corona warriors or common citizens. We are against the government's discriminatory policy on agriculture," it added.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states have been protesting on various borders of Delhi since November last year, seeking a repeal of three farm laws enacted last September.

Making the allegations, Verma had tweeted on Tuesday night, "I spoke to hospitals. I was told that only a few hours of oxygen supply is left and due to road blockade by protesters at Ghazipur border, the transportation of oxygen is getting difficult. The protesters must open the road," he had tweeted.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday urged the Centre "with folded hands" to provide medical oxygen to Delhi. His deputy Manish Sisodia had said that there would be chaos in the city if the stocks were not replenished by Wednesday morning.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had also sent an SOS to Union minister Piyush Goyal at 10.20 pm, saying "oxygen at GTB Hospital may not last beyond 4 hrs".

Some major government and private hospitals in Delhi received fresh stock of medical oxygen in the early hours of Wednesday, averting a crisis just in time, according to officials. PTI