Traffic snarls in Delhi as thousands of farmers take part in 'mahapanchayat'

Thousands of farmers from various states gathered at the Jantar Mantar here on Monday to take part in a mahapanchayat called by a farmers body causing massive traffic snarls in Delhi especially at the citys borders including Singhu and GhazipurAs the farmers associated with different unions reached Delhi police put up layers of barricades at all the entry points of the city and checked every vehicle entering the national capital which led to huge traffic jamsApart from the borders including Ghazipur Singhu and Tikri key stretches on the DelhiMeerut Expressway the Palam flyover Aurobindo Marg Ring Road near Indraprastha Park the GhaziabadWazirabad road and the Munirka road among other roads witnessed traffic snarlsOther than Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh farmers from states such as Karnataka Maharashtra Odisha and Kerala arrived in Delhi to take part in the mahapanchayat that was called demanding a legislation on the minimum support price MSP for crops farm loan waiver and on other issuesMany of them came with their bags packed and with an intent to stay put Holding flags and wearing caps given by farmer leaders they were seen sitting in and around JanpathAlso Read Security beefed up ahead of mahapanchayat called by farmers body in DelhiThey raised slogans for farmer unity and against the Centre for not fulfilling its promises Magha Nibori a farmer from Punjab with one acre of farmland on which he cultivates seasonal crops said he came here fully prepared to stay put if requiredWe are poor farmers Nobody is helping us Nothing is being done for us We participated in last years antifarm laws protests as well The government had assured us that it will listen to our demands but nothing is being done We will not hesitate to camp here if required to get our demands addressed Nibori told PTIThe heavy security measures led to massive traffic snarls across the city Police also put up cemented barricades to avoid any untoward incidentThe traffic police informed the commuters about the traffic situation and advised them to plan their journeys accordinglyIn view of a heightened security scenario and threat perception some persons or protestors were stopped at the Ghazipur border However after due verifications all of them were allowed to proceed to their respective destinations Deputy Commissioner of Police East Priyanka Kashyap saidIn a tweet police asked motorists to avoid Tolstoy Marg Sansad Marg Janpath Road Ashoka Road Connaught Place Outer Circle Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Pandit Pant Marg due to the farmers congregationSKM nonpolitical leaders claimed that at some locations farmers were being stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar However the Delhi Police denied the claimThis is a daylong peaceful event where we will reiterate our demands such as a legal guarantee on the MSP and the cancellation of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 among others said Abhimanyu Singh Kohar an SKM nonpolitical member and one of the organisers of the mahapanchayatHe however added that police are yet to give permission for the mahapanchayat at the Jantar MantarThe SKM nonpolitical is a breakaway group of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha SKM that had spearheaded the yearlong protests at Delhis borders against three contentious farm laws of the CentreKohar said farmers coming from Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were stopped on Sunday night and not allowed to reach the Jantar Mantar They were taken to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Rakabganj and Moti Bagh and released later he saidKohar said during the antifarm laws protests the Centre had promised to consider all the demands of the farmers but did nothingSo here we are again to raise our demands and chalk out the future strategy of the movement he addedIn November 2020 thousands of farmers from Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had camped at Delhis border points in protest against the three farm laws which were repealed a year laterThe farmers had suspended their movement in December last year after the Centre assured them to consider their other demands concerning a legal guarantee on the MSP and withdrawal of cases against them among othersMahendra Singh from Punjab who had to undergo partial hand and finger amputation due to an accident a few years ago said he has not received his pension for several monthsI have come here from Gidder Pani in Punjab My pension has not been credited for months and no official has any answer The Centre is also not fulfilling our demands related to the MSP and other issues I have come here to ask for my rights he saidFarmer leader Rakesh Tikait was detained by the Delhi Police at the Ghazipur border on Sunday while he was trying to enter the capital to take part in a protest against unemployment at the Jantar MantarTikait had alleged that the Delhi Police was working at the behest of the BJPled Centre and did not allow him to meet the unemployed youngstersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no 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