Delhi Police beef up security ahead of farmers' protest at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi, July 21: Delhi government on Wednesday gave permission to farmer groups to hold a Kisan Sansad, farmers' parliament at Jantar Mantar from July 22 but following the Covid protocol.

"Farmers have been permitted to protest at Jantar Mantar with a condition that their numbers won't exceed 200 for Samyukt Kisan Morcha and 6 persons for Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee b/w 11 am-5 pm daily, on being assured in writing that they would remain peaceful," said Delhi police.

"The protesting farmers would be escorted to the designated location from Singhu border in buses. They have been advised not to take out any March in view of Covid restrictions. We have put in place extensive arrangements to ensure that the protest remains peaceful," the police added.

The monsoon session of Parliament started on Monday and is scheduled to conclude on August 13.

A day earlier, farmers' unions said they will hold a 'Kisan Parliament' at Jantar Mantar during the monsoon session and 200 protesters from the Singhu border will attend it every day from July 22.

After a meeting with Delhi Police officials on Tuesday, a farm union leader said they will hold peaceful demonstrations at Jantar Mantar demanding scrapping of the agri laws and no protester will go to Parliament.

"A group of 200 farmers will go in 4 buses to hold 'Kisan Sansad' at Parliament street. We will discuss the agrarian crisis, three farm laws & MSP. We've constituted a 6-member steering committee which will include 3 members from Punjab," said farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh.

On the other hand, the Central government said it is open to hold talks over the three contentious farm laws with the farmers who have been agitating on the borders of Delhi for nearly eight months.

A tractor parade in Delhi on January 26, that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three agriculture laws, had dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

Thousands of farmers from across the country have been agitating at the Delhi borders against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government, which has been projecting the laws at major agricultural reforms, have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.