Delhi Police has allowed only 200 farmers to gather at the protest venue from July 22 to August 9.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — As Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has given special permission for demonstration at Jantar Matar, very near to Parliament House where the monsoon session is in progress, farmers reached there on Thursday to protest against the contentious farm laws passed by the Centre.
The farmers who are protesting since November last year at Delhi borders are geared up to further intensity their agitation against the legislations.
However, Delhi Police has restricted the number of protesters at the venue to only 200 from July 22 to August 9.
The 200 farmers reached the protest venue chanting slogans, demanding rollback of the three farm laws passed by the Central government. The farmers arrived in buses that were escorted by the Delhi Police to ensure the overall security, while maintaining the Covid norms, reports IANS.
According to farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka, police stopped farmers at three places en route and their Aadhaar cards were checked.
Several teams of the Delhi Police manned the roads leading to the protest venue, while personnel of the Rapid Action Force, an specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force, stood guard at the site, carrying riot shields and batons.
A water cannon and metal-detector gates have been deployed at the site. Two tankers carrying drinking water have also been stationed there, according to the PTI report.
The protesting farmers have also been restricted to a small section of Jantar Mantar with police putting up barricades on both sides.
Though gathering for protests is currently not allowed in the national capital in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi Disaster Management Authority has granted approval to farmers to hold ‘Kisan Sansad’ while maintaining Covid appropriate behaviour.
According to media reports, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the protest against the three farm laws, has been asked to give an undertaking that all COVID-19 norms would be followed and the stir would be peaceful.
Although the SKM had said that their protest at Jantar Mantar would continue till the end of the Monsoon session of Parliament on August 13, the lieutenant governor has given permission for protest till August 9, according to the report.