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.
Over 200 writers and artistes including Arundhati Roy, Girish Karnad, Keki Daruwalla, T.M. Krishna, and Nayantara Sahgal on Monday appealed to citizens to vote against hate politics and for an equal and diverse India.
Vijay Mallya had last month approached the Bombay High Court challenging a January 5 order of a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court declaring him a fugitive economic offender under the FEO Act.
Lok Sabha elections 2019: "For the entire opposition, the job number one is to defeat Narendra Modi and save democracy and the Constitution," Rahul Gandhi said
It was Jawaharlal Nehru's accomplishment, as the leader of India for its first 17 years of Independence, to make an inclusive national consciousness a daily experience for Indians as the legacy of modern Indi
