Farmers block highways outside Delhi to mark 100th day of protest

Thousands of farmers from several states have been camping out on the outskirts of the capital in the bitter cold since December demanding the farm laws be repealed

Hundreds of farmers on Saturday blocked a six-lane expressway skirting the national capital to mark the 100th day of protests against the three farm laws, declaring that their agitation would continue till the reforms are rolled back.

Riding tractors and cars, farmers squatted on the 134-km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway and forcibly stopped collection of toll-tax from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“Our agitation would continue till the farm laws are withdrawn. We will fight till our last breath,” Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union said as the agitation on Delhi’s borders against the farm laws completed 100 days.

Read | We are going strong: Farmer leaders as protest enters 100th day

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, speaking at a ministry event, said that the farmers were unable to point out the flaws in the farm laws and were stuck on the single demand for repeal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the laws as much-needed reforms for the country's vast agriculture sector and said that the protests were politically motivated.

Congress described the 100 days of protest as a black chapter in India’s history.

Read | Sword-wielding Sikh warriors guard protesting farmers

“We think this is a black chapter in our democracy, where everything was done to disrupt this peaceful protest. They (farmers) were demonised, all kinds of conspiracies were hatched against them, but they stayed on,” Congress spokesman Pawan Khera said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said the farmers’ protests were reflective of the anger of the people against the Modi government, which would gradually lead to its downfall.

“Whose sons risk their lives at the country's borders, for them nails have been laid at the borders of Delhi. 'Annadaatas' demand their rights, the government commits atrocities,” Gandhi said on Twitter.

Read | Will Centre go for farm laws amendment?

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also hit out at the Centre and said the farmers were following the path laid down by the freedom fighters.

“100 days of farmers' struggle, a fight for rights, of respect for 'annadaatas', of the path shown by Gandhiji, Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel, Nehruji, (Lal Bahadur) Shastriji, Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” Priyanka said.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at the borders of Delhi since late November, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.