Chennai: The ongoing farmer protest in Delhi is all set to intensify, with the agitators announcing their plan to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway today.
As a result, security has been beefed up at various places in the National capital. “Over 3,500 police personnel have been deployed at the five toll plazas to block the movement of the protesters,” sources said.
The development comes a day after the Bharatiya Kisan Union filed a petition in the SC, that sought repeal of the three ‘arbitrary’ laws.
The top court has already issued notices to the centre on a batch of petitions challenging the laws.
It may be recalled that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said, it was not proper to announce the next stage of agitation when talks were continuing and urged the unions to return to the discussion table.
Earlier on Wednesday, farmer leaders rejected a government proposal to amend the new agri laws, and announced they would intensify their agitation by blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra expressways by Saturday, and escalating it to a nationwide protest on 14 December.
The farmer leaders have been adamant on their demand to scrap the laws, which they say will lead to dismantling of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and mandis that ensure earning.
The government has been defending these laws, saying they will benefit the farmers in the long run and raise their incomes.
