AAP lawmaker slams Centre for stopping 'Delhi Chalo' protest

Raghav Chadha on Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for trying to stop the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers. Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out in support of Punjab farmers and their protest against the Centre's recently passed farm laws, saying that peaceful protest was a Constitutional right and the use of water cannons against them was a crime.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chadha on Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for trying to stop the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers.

"Today, India's farmers are coming towards Delhi with a very valid demand of Minimum Support Prices (MSP). Farmers of the country have been gravely affected by the three laws that were created by the Centre. Using their constitutional right, farmers are coming from Punjab to lodge their protest through peaceful means," said Chadha.

"The brutality with which the BJP is beating, lathi charging them and using water cannon against farmers, is really sad. This goes on to show that we are no longer free to protest in peaceful ways," he alleged.

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out in support of Punjab farmers and their protest against the Centre's recently passed farm laws, saying that peaceful protest was a Constitutional right and the use of water cannons against them was a crime.

"All the three farming Bills (now Acts) of the Central government are anti-farmer. Instead of withdrawing these, farmers are being prevented from holding peaceful demonstrations, water cannons are being turned on them. This crime against farmers is absolutely wrong. Peaceful protest is their Constitutional right," Kejriwal tweeted.

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Meanwhile, Police used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers headed to Delhi as they tried to break through police barricades at Sadopur border in Ambala.

The farmers were seen resisting the police, trying to break and drag the barricades at the Sadopur border following which police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to control the crowd.

Police, earlier, had to use water gas to disperse the crowd of angry farmers pelted stones at security forces deployed to control the crowd at the Shambhu border.

Farmers have given a call for "Delhi Chalo" protest march, to coincide with the Constitution Day celebrations, against new farm laws.

While the government says the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the commercial markets, protestors fear that this could lead to the government not buying produce at guaranteed prices, thereby disrupting their timely payments.

(ANI)