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Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi's border points with a demand that the Centre repeal the new agri-marketing laws enacted last September. Supporters of agitated farmers resumed protests at Chandimandir and Naggal toll plazas, on Saturday.
At Naggal toll plaza, protesters also observed hunger strike from 9 am to 5 pm, on Saturday. Leaders of opposition parties, including AAP and Congress, also shared the dias with the agitating farmers. The supporters, who had returned from Singhu border also started going back to the national capital.
The protest sites at the toll plazas had been vacated in the backdrop of January 26 violence in Delhi and the protesters left the venues on January 28.
“I returned from the Singhu border on January 28. The violence was a plot of government. I am going to Delhi today. We are committed to the cause of farmers and will continue the protest until the three agriculture laws are repealed. I belong to Budda Dal,” said Mandeep Singh, 26, from the nearby Shahpur village in Pinjore. Mandeep Singh also addressed the protesters at Chandimandir toll plaza, and claimed that he along with others had reached Red Fort on January 26.
“Now the strength is more than earlier. People are coming from all sections of society– be it advocates, students, businessman, farmers, shopkeepers etc. We are getting immense support. Our senior farmer leader Narinder Singh returned from Delhi, and a group will again go to Singhu and Tikri border shortly. We observed a fast from 9 am to 5 pm today,” said Vakil Singh, a farmer leader sitting at Naggal toll plaza.
Sources said as the emotional speech of farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait, went viral, people started reaching the toll plaza sites on Friday evening. Even police and toll plaza guards don’t oppose their arrival. Certain farmers sitting at Naggal toll plaza maintained that internet on their mobiles is not working.
“There are no orders of suspension of internet services in Panchkula; internet services in the district are operational. The internet connection might be poor near the Naggal toll plaza due to technical faults,” said ACP (headquarters) Vijay Nehra.
