Farm law protests LIVE: Over 100 protesting farmers detained in Haryana

Published : Oct 7, 2020, 2:34 PM IST

Updated : Oct 7, 2020, 8:21 PM IST

20:18 October 07

BJP's Mahesh Sharma, Pankaj Singh say new farm laws pro-farmer

Noida: Amid protests against the new farm laws in parts of the country, BJP leaders Mahesh Sharma and Pankaj Singh here on Wednesday assured people that the legislations are pro-farmer.

Sharma, a Lok Sabha MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar in western Uttar Pradesh, also slammed Opposition Congress for misleading the people over the new farm laws.

"The Congress is trying to create an illusion that the new laws will take away the safety net given to farmers through minimum support price (MSP), but the truth is that there will be no change in the MSP rule and the laws are to ensure better price to farmers for their crops," the former Union minister said.

President Ram Nath Kovind recently gave his assent to the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers'' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which were passed by Parliament last month.

17:41 October 07

Over 100 protesting farmers detained in Haryana

Chandigarh: Over 100 protesting farmers were taken into custody and detained from Haryana's Sirsa town on Wednesday for protesting against the contentious farm laws.

Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav was also taken into custody by the police.

However, farmer organisations said that they would continue with the protests.

"Why have you sunk to such incivility, my JJP friend?" Yadav tweeted.

He told the media he has been detained for joining a peaceful sit-in protest. Nearly 100 farmers and leaders were arrested.

The farmers had been squatting on a road close to Jannayak Janata Party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala's private residence, demanding his resignation from the post against the agricultural laws.

The police said the protesters were detained as the blockade was causing inconvenience to the public.

A day earlier, the police used water cannons to disperse groups of farmers as they were heading to Chautala's residence.

A stand-off between the police and protesters had continued for almost an hour near Chautala's residence. Later, the protesters were dispersed by the police.

"Dushyant Chautala has not spoken even a single word against the farm laws. We are protesting against the laws brought by the Centre to discontinue the MSP regime. His Jannayak Janta Party, which claims to be a party of farmers, is sitting on the BJP lap," protester Abhay Yadav had told the media.

Dushyant should either withdraw his party's support to the BJP government in the state or clear his stand on the issue, he had added.

Hundreds of farmers and arhtiyas (middlemen) have been protesting daily against the three laws across Haryana.

17:40 October 07

Haryana BJP MLA stages dharna to highlight problems of farmers

Chandigarh: An MLA of the ruling BJP in Haryana on Wednesday staged a symbolic dharna in front of the state assembly building here, alleging that because of a senior bureaucrat, farmers were facing problems in mandis during crop procurement.

Goel, a second-term BJP MLA from Ambala City, targeted Additional Chief Secretary (Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs) PK Das during the dharna.

Das, however, said that he will not comment on what a political leader was saying, but assured that paddy procurement was going on smoothly.

The BJP leader alleged mismanagement at grain markets (mandis) and claimed that farmers were facing a lot of problems because of this.

"Farmers, labourers and traders are being harassed due to the delay in paddy procurement," Goel told reporters at the dharna site.

He claimed that farmers are facing problems in getting registration number on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal and even after waiting for long hours, they do not get permission to sell paddy crop. "For six months farmers toil hard to grow the crop, but today they are facing hurdles in selling it. And one official is responsible for this," Goel alleged.

"I am representing 5 lakh people. I have not come to Chandigarh for a picnic, I am not against the government," the BJP MLA said during the dharna which lasted for about an hour.

Goel said that Chief Minister M L Khattar always gave him love and respect.

13:50 October 07

Farm law protests LIVE: Over 100 protesting farmers detained in Haryana

Chandigarh: Swaraj India party president Yogendra Yadav and nearly 100 farmers were taken into preventive custody in Haryana's Sirsa on Wednesday after a group of agriculturists agitating against the Centre's new farm laws were evicted by the police from their dharna site on a busy road.

Besides Yadav, Haryana Kisan Manch chief Prahalad Singh was also taken into preventive custody and detained, Sirsa DSP Kuldeep Singh said.

Singh said that farmers were holding dharna on a busy highway in Sirsa where the administration had not given them the permission.

"The farmers had been allowed to hold their dharna on Dussehra grounds and we had asked them to move there and also had given them a choice to go to another site near Deputy Commissioner's office. However, they did not agree after which we took them into preventive custody," Singh said.

He said commuters were facing difficulty as the peasants were holding dharna in the middle of a busy road.

The farmers were put on buses and other vehicles arranged by the administration and taken to a nearby police station.

"Along with protesting farmers, I have been detained from farmers' protest site in Sirsa Been taken to Police Thana Sadar, Sirsa," Yadav, who lent support to the peasants' agitation against the new farm bills, posted on Twitter.

Yadav claimed that the Haryana government is rattled by farmers' questions and is bent upon using "brutal force to prevent dissent".

"I have been detained by Haryana Police for joining a peaceful dharna at Sirsa. Dharna site demolished. About 100 farmers and leaders arrested. Clearly, Haryana govt is rattled by farmers' questions, bent upon using brutal force to prevent dissent," Yadav said in another tweet.

He said the farmers' fight will only get bigger from here.

Police had on Tuesday used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the agitating farmers who tried to cross barricades and proceed towards the residences of Dushyant Chautala and his grand uncle and Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala in Sirsa, barely 200 metres away from their protest site.

The farmers were seeking resignations of Dushyant, a JJP leader, and Ranjit, an independent legislator, from the Manohar Lal Khatar government over the recently enacted three farm legislations.

While farmers belonging to 17 different organisations were part of the protest held on Tuesday, only a few continued to hold dharna near the residences of the Chautalas a day later.

The protest site lies on Sirsa-Barnala highway on the busy Baba Bhumman Shah Chowk.

The farmers said they will carry on with their dharna for an indefinite period and force the Centre to roll back the new farm legislations, which they dubbed "anti-farmers".

The police or administration cannot suppress the voice of farmers. They may ask us to clear this protest site, but our agitation against the farm legislations will continue and we will not rest the till we force the government to revoke these laws, said a farmer, who was at the protest site.

Sirsa police officials this morning made announcements over loudspeaker asking farmers to clear the protest site.

Sirsa Police DSP, Kuldeep Singh told reporters at the protest site that farmers were holding dharna on a busy road where the administration had not given them the permission.

"The farmers had been allowed to hold their dharna in Dussehra ground and we asked them to move there" he said.

The agitating farmers, however, remained adamant after which they were evicted from the site by the police.

Earlier, Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union chief Gurnam Singh had lamented that while late Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal always fought for farmers, both Ranjit Chautala and Dushyant Chautala were busy "enjoying pleasures of power", "ignoring" farmers' interests.

"Both Dushyant and Ranjit Chautala are bringing disrespect to the name of farmers messiahDevi Lal by misusing his name in the garb of the peasantry," Haryana Kisan Manch president Prahalad Singh said earlier.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala had condemned the use of tear gas shells and water cannons on protesting farmers by the police.

(Inputs from PTI)