‘Chalo Delhi’ March: Government Rejects Central Proposal to Convert Bawana Stadium into Jail

Farmers, mainly from Punjab, accompanied by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh counterparts, began their ‘Chalo Delhi’ march after their meeting with the Union government remained inconclusive. On the eve of the march, farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh met with central ministers Piyush Goyal and Arjun Munda for a second round of talks, with the meeting lasting for five hours, in the Centre's last-ditch attempt to halt the protest which is expected to cause gridlock across Delhi NCR on Tuesday.

Union Agriculture Minister Munda said after the meeting that a consensus was reached on most of the issues concerning the farmers. However, the farmers asserted that they would march on Tuesday, leading to the closure of many state borders across Delhi. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will lead Tuesday's march to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.  Meanwhile, The Delhi Government has rejected the central government's proposal to convert Bawana Stadium into a jail given the farmers' march to Delhi today.

On the Centre's proposal, Delhi Government Home Minister Kailash Gehlot says "The demands of the farmers are genuine. It is the constitutional right of every citizen to make a peaceful protest. It is therefore incorrect to arrest the farmers..."

Delhi Government rejects the central government's proposal to convert Bawana Stadium into a jail in view of the farmers' march to Delhi today.

On the Centre's proposal, Delhi Government Home Minister Kailash Gehlot says "The demands of the farmers are genuine. It is the… pic.twitter.com/dxjvYTrKbq

— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2024

The legal guarantee of MSP is the prime reason for the farmers' protest. Apart from this, the farmers have also demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, as well as farm debt waiver.