Farmer unions said they would hold a tractor march on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways on January 7, as a "rehearsal" for January 26.
Farmers protesting against the new Central agriculture laws Tuesday deferred their proposed 'tractor march' from January 6 to January 7 due to a bad weather forecast, even as they asserted they will intensify their stir in the coming days.
Farmer unions protesting against the laws said they would hold a tractor march on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways on January 7, as a "rehearsal" for January 26.
Union leaders said thousands of farmers will take out the tractor march from all protest sites -- Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Shahjahanpur (Haryana-Rajasthan border) -- the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) on January 7.
As a result, traffic is set to be badly hit around the capital. With the NH-48 already blocked, heavy traffic movement is being seen on the alternative routes, like Pataudi Road and Kapdiwas Chowk in Gurugram, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and Masani barrage in Rewari.
Following Sunday`s incident in which a group of farmers had breached police barricades and enter Bawal in Rewari with the intention of marching towards the national capital, the Haryana police along with CRPF, CISF, RAF and anti-riot team have been stationed on the Sabi flyover in Dharuhera located on the expressway to keep an eye on farmers protesting on the highway.
Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said the decision to defer the march was taken over a forecast of bad weather conditions on Wednesday.
"From tomorrow, for 2 weeks, 'Desh Jagran Abhiyan' will be started and protests will be intensified throughout the country," he said.
The unions said the agitation against the three agriculture laws will be intensified in the coming days. The next round of talks with the Centre is scheduled to be held on January 8.
Last week, farmers had warned that they would intensify their protests if their demands were not met in the January 4 meeting. They had also announced a tractor rally and nationwide protests on January 26.
"On January 26, we will hold a massive rally in Delhi with tricolours on tractors. We give a call for countrywide protests at all headquarters (of the unions)," the protesting farmers had said.
After the seventh round of talks, the Centre could not reach any "solution" as the farmer unions remained "adamant" over repealing of the three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said after the meeting on Monday.
"We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws," Tomar had said.
Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait had claimed that 60 farmers have so far lost their lives during the ongoing agitation. He further said one farmer is dying every 16 hours and it is the government's responsibility to give an answer.
With concerns that farm laws would weaken the MSP and mandi systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital for over a month against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Farmers protest")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}