New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) A group of 200 farmers reached the Jantar Mantar amid multi-layer security on Thursday to launch their agitation against the three Central farms laws in the heart of the national capital.
On Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal gave permission to the Jantar Mantar demonstration on the condition that a maximum of 200 protesters will be allowed till August 9 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
On the first day of the 'Kisan Sansad', the protesting farmers held discussions on the Mandi Act, rollback of the three farm laws, besides demanding that MPs should discuss the farmers' issues during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
The Kisan Sansad was divided into three sessions with each having a separate topic.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said, "Today we have issued a whip to all the MPs to raise the issue of farm laws in the Parliament. If they don't raise our issues, the farmers will protest against them in their respective parliamentary constitutes."
He said the farmers have gathered at the Jantar Mantar to run a parallel 'Sansad', because the farm issues are not being discussed in the Parliament.
Several non-BJP MPs, especially from the southern part of the counrtry, came to show their solidarity with the agitating farmers, echoing their demand to repeal the three farm laws.
"We have come here to make our voice more strong. The people of this country are aware of what the farmers have gone through in the past few months," Tikait added.
The accused, identified as Prabhjot Singh, 25 and Sukhdev Singh, 19, were arrested while a third person, Inderjeet, who had brought the pistol used to commit the crime, has been on the run, they said.
Rejecting as totally inadequate the new proposed 60:40 fund-sharing pattern of the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry for the SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has demanded restoration of the old sharing scheme, under which states had to finance about 10% only.
At least 29 passengers were killed and 17 injured when a Delhi-bound UPSRTC Janrath bus fell into a water-filled nullah along the Yamuna Expressway in Agra, UP, early on Monday morning.
