Farmer protests live update: Noida Police has filed an FIR against eight people including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pandey, and Zafar Agha for spreading violence ‘through social media post on 26 January, The leaders reaffirmed their collective demand to repeal the three agricultural laws and said that they are opposing the farmers.
Meanwhile, tensions rose on the Delhi-UP border in Ghazipur on Thursday after the Ghaziabad administration issued orders for farmers to vacate the protest site by tonight. While the administration said it was ready to vacate the border, the farmers refused to tell Bharat Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait that it was ready to die. He also claimed that electricity and water supplies at the site had been cut. “We will not leave from here. We will commit suicide, but will not protest until the agricultural bills are repealed. As hundreds of police personnel in anti-riot gear, and rapid action forces dispersed throughout the area, securing the perimeter, the protesting peasants moved closer to the stage, from where Tikait regularly spoke.
The Uttar Pradesh government ordered all its DMs and SSPs to end the protests of all farmers in the state.
About 70-100 locals of Bakhtawarpur and Hamidpur have gathered on the Singhu border in protest against the farmers camping there on Thursday. On Republic Day, they are carrying banners and placards condemning the violence by farmers. Police Chief SN Srivastava said that Delhi Police has issued a lookout notice against the farmer leaders named in the FIR registered on January 26 in connection with the violence during the tractor parade of farmers in the city. Farmers will also be asked to surrender their passports. Police have named 37 farmer leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav, and Medha Patkar in the FIR, which include charges of murder, rioting, and criminal conspiracy.
The leaders of 16 opposition parties issued a joint statement on Thursday, saying they would boycott the President’s address to Parliament on January 29, before the start of the budget session. The leaders reaffirmed their collective demand for the repeal of all three agricultural laws and said that they stand with solidarity against the farmers. Opposition leaders of parties including Congress, NCP, DMK, TMC, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, RJD, CPI, CPI (M), and PDP said that the law is “an attack and violation of the rights of states”. Federal spirit of constitution ”. He said the legislation was “brought without consultation”, “lack of national consensus”, and “sidelined parliamentary scrutiny … mocking the opposition”.