Chandigarh, August 29
Farmers blocked roads and highways in Punjab for two hours on Sunday in protest against the lathicharge on peasants in Haryana.
Owing allegiance to various farmer bodies, the p
Scenes of chaos at the Red Fort dominated television on Republic Day, eclipsing the long and patient protest by farmers, after a deviation from the agreed route by some participants of the Kisan Parade led to violence that left one farmer dead and many protesters and policemen injured.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the banner under which almost 500 farmer unions have been seeking repeal of three new farm laws, condemned the violence and distanced itself from those who had broken through police barricades and reached Red Fort where they hoisted the Nishan Sahib and farmer union flags.
The Morcha pointed out that the majority had stuck to the designated routes for the tractor rally and had marched peacefully as promised. At 6pm, it called off the parade and appealed to all participants to return immediately to their respective protest sites amid reports of a continuing face-off between the group at Red Fort and the police that was in turn encouraging other farmers to move towards the Ol