LIVE: Will march on foot towards Parliament on Feb 1, say farmer leaders

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Farmer leaders said the tractor parade will remain peaceful and will not affect the official Republic Day parade in any way

1:38 PM

Farmers' rally in Mumbai: No police nod for march to Raj Bhavan

Police have made tight security arrangements at the venue of a farmers' rally here and protesters are not allowed to march from south Mumbai to the Raj Bhavan, a senior police official said on Monday. Thousands of farmers from across Maharashtra have come to participate in a rally at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Monday against the Centre's three new farm laws.

 

The All India Kisan Sabha's (AIKS) Maharashtra unit on Sunday said the protesters will later march to the Raj Bhavan and submit a memorandum to Governor B S Koshyari over their various demands.

 

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil said, "As per a Bombay High Court order, no morcha is allowed in south Mumbai and we are convincing representatives of the farmers to follow the court order."

1:15 PM

'Farmers-wave' in Maharashtra: Sena, NCP, Congress to protest

The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress will join the Samyukt Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) Mumbai rally on Monday to oppose the three new farm laws, top organisers said here on Monday.

NCP President Sharad Pawar, Congress state President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, and Sena's Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray shall participate at the rally in Azad Maidan where over 15,000 farmers reached late on Sunday in a 'Vehicle Morcha' from Nashik.

After the rally, the farmers and leaders shall take out a procession to Raj Bhavan and submit a memorandum to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with their list of demands pertaining to farmers and workers, said All India Kisan Sabha President Dr. Ashok Dhawale.

The agitation is part of the all-India 3-day action launched since Sunday in all states to express solidarity with the farmers in Delhi demanding a complete repeal of the 3 farm laws, terming them as 'anti-farmer', said AIKS General Secretary Dr. Ajit Nawale.

On Tuesday, the farmers will assemble at Azad Maidan and solemnly unfurl the National Tricolour and take a pledge to continue the struggle of peasants-farmers till they get justice, the leaders added.

The Mumbai Police have made elaborate security arrangements at the Azad Maidan with police personnel assisted by 9 platoons of the SRPF, drones and other agencies deployed.

12:53 PM

Farmers gear up for Republic Day tractor rally

Farmers on Monday began gathering at Gazipur border between Delhi-Uttar Pradesh for the proposed Kisan Tractor Rally on the eve of Republic Day.

Tractors from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan have also reached on Tikri border between Delhi-Haryana as the farmers sit in for protest for nearly two months.

The move comes as Delhi Police formally granted permission for the rally on January 26, assigning them routes for the same.

Expressing dismay at the routes assigned for the rally, Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee told ANI, "We feel that the kind of permission granted to us for tractor rally is not right. We wanted to go to the old Ring Road but we were given conditional permission and assigned the portion that comes largely under Haryana."

"All we're saying we just want to go to Ring Road. We'll have a meeting with the police today over this. Routes will be decided after that," the farmer leader further added.

Farmers had proposed to hold the Republic Day tractor rally on Delhi's Outer Ring Road. However, three routes other than the proposed one were allotted for the rally from three border points of Delhi, informed Special Commissioner of Police (CP), Intelligence in Delhi Police, Dependra Pathak on Sunday.

11:38 AM

Pamphlets distributed at Rajiv Chowk Metro station

There have been some instances at Rajiv Chowk and Saket metro stations where few people have tried to handover pamphlets and address passengers regarding farmers' protest inside the trains. CISF asked them to deboard the metro train. Delhi Police has been informed: CISF sources

9:31 AM

Kind of permission granted for tractor rally not right: Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee

9:29 AM

Farmers,gather at Ghazipur border ahead of their proposed Tractor Rally

8:09 AM

High-powered panel's minutes reveal farm bills were never raised: Punjab FM

The High-Powered Committee's minutes clearly show that the three contentious farm bills were never brought up or discussed in "any meeting" with the Government of Punjab or with any Punjab minister, said Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

 

"The minutes of the meeting with the Union Government have already been released in the public domain. Anyone who reads the minutes will note that the farm bills were neither brought up nor discussed nor were they on the meeting agenda," said Badal in a press statement. Read on...