India / Farmers to block Delhi-Jaipur highway on Sunday, to fast from Dec 14

New Delhi: Thousands of protesting farmers will take out a tractor rally to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Sunday, December 13. They will also hold a nationwide demonstration at all district offices on Monday and hold a hunger strike from 8 am to 5 pm, agitators demonstrating against the Centre’s new farm laws said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police increased deployment of personnel and placed more concrete barriers at various border points as farmers announced that they will intensify their protest, with plans to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway and the Yamuna Expressway.

There is no protest yet on Delhi’s borders with Gurgaon and at other points of National Highway-8 that connects the national capital with Jaipur, a senior police officer said.

“So far, there is no protest at Delhi-Gurgaon border. There is no disruption in traffic movement. However, we have proper security arrangements in place to deal with any situation,” the officer said.

Taking to Twitter, social activist Yogendra Yadav, who is part of the ongoing protests, said farmers from areas in Rajasthan and Haryana are assembling on Saturday and their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march would begin on Sunday.

“Farmers’ ‘Delhi march’ on Jaipur-Delhi highway will not start today and it will begin from Shahjahanpur border tomorrow. Today, farmers from Rajasthan and Haryana will congregate in Kotputli and Behror,” Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

The increase in security arrangement comes amid thousands of farmers protesting at various areas on Delhi’s borders for the last 16 days and demanding that the legislations be withdrawn.

The police have made adequate arrangements and these include multi-layered barricading and deployment of personnel. Measures have also been taken to ensure commuters do not face inconvenience at places were protest are being staged, another senior police officer said.

The Delhi Traffic Police has deployed its personnel across important border points to ensure commuters do not face difficulties and is constantly updating people about open and closed routes on its Twitter handle.

The developments come after farmer leaders on Wednesday rejected a government proposal to amend the new agri laws and announced they would intensify their agitation by blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Yamuna expressway by Saturday.