Amid preparations for the farmers' march on February 13, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora announced the imposition of Section 144 across Delhi. The move comes as a delegation of farmer leaders gears up to meet with a team of three Union ministers on Monday to discuss their concerns prior to the planned march towards Delhi. Convoys of tractor-trolleys from various parts of Punjab have already begun their journey to join the forthcoming demonstration.
In response, Haryana authorities have ramped up security measures along the state's border with Punjab, utilizing concrete blocks, iron nails, and barbed wire in areas such as Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, and Kurukshetra to thwart the proposed 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have declared that more than 200 farm unions will convene in Delhi on February 13 to push for the fulfilment of several demands, notably legislation ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai are set to arrive in Chandigarh on Monday for a second round of discussions with farmer leaders. The meeting, scheduled for 5 pm at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26, follows initial talks held on February 8.
In addition to MSP assurances, farmers are advocating for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waivers, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.