Thousands of farmers who marched to Delhi as part of the Kisan Kranti Yatra ended their protest early on Wednesday morning after the Delhi Police allowed them to enter the national capital. The farmers announced that the Narendra Modi government had met “most” of their demands, including the need to increase the price of crops.
The Delhi Police, after midnight on Tuesday, removed barricades that were erected at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border and allowed the protesting farmers to move to Kisan Ghat. The farmers arrived in the national capital on tractors and trolleys and proceeded to Kisan Ghat. The protesting farmers began dispersing from Kisan Ghat around 5.30am on Wednesday.
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) October 2, 2018
Even as the Delhi Police announced that traffic movement could resume on major roads including National Highway 24, the Uttar Pradesh government declared a holiday for educational institutions in Ghaziabad on Wednesday on account of the farmers' protest.
On Tuesday, the Delhi Police resorted to using teargas, water cannon and lathi charge to prevent the farmers from entering Delhi from Uttar Pradesh. According to media reports, around 30 farmers were injured in the ensuing clash in addition to seven policemen. Farmers' protest leaders talked to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday evening, though they later said the protest would continue as the Modi government had only accepted seven of their 11 demands.
The Kisan Kranti Yatra, which started from Tikait Ghat in Haridwar on September 23, was organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). The BKU organised the march to raise various demands including implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, lower power tariffs and introduction of a pension scheme for farmers above 60 years of age.
The Kisan Kranti Yatra saw participation of farmers from several parts of Uttar Pradesh as well as Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
(With agency inputs)
