Key Points:
- Farm stir: Farmers announced 3-hour nationwide ‘chakka jam’ on February 6
- The protesting farmers said that they would block national and state highways for three hours between 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturday
Delhi Police has increased security as the protesting farmer unions have announced a nationwide ‘chakka jam’ protest between 12 noon and 3 pm on February 6. As part of the ongoing agitation against the three central farm laws, farmer unions have given a call for a nationwide ‘chakka jam’ on February 6.
The protesting farmers said that they would block national and state highways for three hours between 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturday – in protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, and other issues.
Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, the union leaders alleged that the government was subjecting that to harassment by curtailing their freedom of speech. The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha also alleged that the Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha and a user named ‘Tractor2Twitter’ were withheld and restored after several hours by Twitter India.
At least 122 FIRs have been filed arbitrarily, the farmers said, adding that some journalists were also picked up by the police to curtail coverage of the farmer’s movements.
The farmers said that the government had cut off all communication by imposing internet shutdowns at protest sites along with shutting down power and water supply to the sites. They demanded immediate restoration of these services.
“The farmers are facing harassment. Even at the Ghazipur border, the power has been cut. Water tankers are not being allowed. Even if the water is being brought from outside, more barricades have been erected to cut the supplies. We also have a team of lawyers who will fight the cases of those arrested free of cost,” said farmer leader Dr Darshan Pal, who himself faces arrest in the Republic Day violence case filed by the Delhi Police.
Farmer unions have also alleged that trains are being short terminated or diverted to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi to join the ongoing protests against the three new farm laws. The Railways ministry said the move was an operational necessity. The Punjab Mail was diverted while another train was short-terminated Monday,
The farmer unions said that about 1,000 farmers had boarded the Punjab Mail on Sunday night at Ferozepur (in Punjab) to join others who have been protesting at the Delhi borders.
The train, which travels via Delhi, was diverted from Rohtak (in Haryana) to Rewari, and further towards its Mumbai route. “The train was diverted because of operational reasons,” a Northern Railways spokesperson said.
Another train traveling from Ganganagar in Rajasthan to Old Delhi, via places in Punjab and Haryana, was short-terminated at Bahadurgarh (Haryana).
“Ferozpur-Mumbai Punjab Mail diverted from Rohtak to Rewari this morning to prevent about 1,000 farmers from reaching Delhi,” Swaraj India Chief Yogendra Yadav posted on Twitter.
The Morcha has also alleged that farmers have been “ignored” in the Union Budget 2021-22, and water and power supply have been curtailed at their protest venues.
Yogendra Yadav claimed that the Union government has “reduced the allocation to agriculture sector” in this budget.
Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav alleged the action against the Twitter account was taken on the “request of government authorities”.
He also claimed that the Union government has “reduced the allocation to agriculture sector” in this budget.
