India / Can't allow tractor rally on Delhi's Outer Ring Road: Police to farmers

New Delhi: Farmers and senior Delhi Police officials met once again on Thursday, 21 January, ahead of the agitating farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day, to discuss the route and preparations.

A group of farmer union leaders had met with Delhi, Haryana and UP Police on Wednesday and Tuesday over the same issue.

Speaking to the media after Thursday’s meeting, Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union said that while the government has said that the tractor rally on Republic Day could not be conducted on Delhi's Outer Ring Road due to security reasons, farmers have stuck to their demand.

He also told ANI that there would be another meeting on Friday with the police after the scheduled eleventh round of talks between the farmer leaders and the Centre.

Thursday’s meeting was held at Mantram Resort near the Singhu border, reported ANI. Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) SS Yadav was present at the meeting.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana protesting near the national capital have refused to call off the 26 January tractor rally, despite the Delhi Police’s objection. The farmers had said that the rally would take place peacefully on the Outer Ring Road, without disrupting the Republic Day parade at Rajpath.

Centre Offers to Suspend Farm Laws for Mutually-Agreed Period

Meanwhile, the central government, during the tenth round of talks with protesting farmers in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday, proposed submitting an affidavit in the Supreme Court to suspend the three farm laws, for a year or more, as mutually-agreed by the farmers.

The Centre also offered to create a committee to look into farmers’ demands.

According to PTI, the farmer unions remain “firm on their demand for repeal of laws” but are “willing to discuss the government’s proposal.”

Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal were present on behalf of the Centre. The next meeting is set to take place on 22 January, reported ANI.