Protesting farmers and their leaders have said that they will take out a massive tractor rally on Republic Day (January 26) on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi, in protest against the three contentious farm laws. The decision was confirmed on Sunday by Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav at a farmers' union press meet.
Earlier, the agitating farmers had said that in total, one lakh tractors will participate in the Republic Day tractor parade from Ludhiana, Amritsar, Faridkot, and Bhatinda districts.
For this purpose, around 11 thousand tractors will be making a move to Delhi from Ludhiana itself to participate in the tractor parade on Republic Day, news agency ANI quoted a farmer as saying.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The Supreme Court had on January 11 stayed the implementation of the three laws, against which farmers are protesting at Delhi borders for over 50 days now, till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.
So far, the government has held nine rounds of formal talks with 41 farmer unions but has failed to break the logjam as the latter have stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.
In the last meeting, the Centre had suggested that the unions constitute their own informal group to prepare a concrete proposal on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting on January 19 to end the long-running protest at various Delhi borders.
The top court would also hear on Monday the plea of the central government, filed though the Delhi Police, seeking an injunction against a proposed tractor march or any other kind of protest by farmers that may disrupt the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
(With inputs from agencies)
