BKU farmers from west UP headed to Delhi

Noida (UP): Hundreds of western Uttar Pradesh farmers on Friday headed to the national capital in response to a “Delhi Chalo” call to protest against the three central farm laws.

On a Bharatiya Kisan Union call to join the protest in Delhi, the farmers belonging to Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Gautam Buddh Nagar and other western UP districts reached the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Greater Noida on Friday afternoon, when they were stopped by the police.

Shortly later, they left the Peripheral Expressway as the announcement came that the protestors have been allowed to march to Delhi.

"We have started our onward march. But our route to Delhi is yet to be decided by our union leaders. We may take the UP Gate route (via Ghaziabad) or the Kalindi Kunj route (via Noida)," BKU's UP unit spokesperson Pawan Khatana told PTI.

The BKU has lent its support to the "Dilli Chalo" call of Punjab and Haryana farmers protesting against the new farm laws, he said.

"These laws are anti-farmer and should be taken back or changed. There should be a new law on minimum support price of crops to benefit farmers," Khatana told PTI.

Gautam Buddh Nagar's Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Love Kumar said the protest was peaceful and the security was stepped up to ensure that the situation does not aggravate.

"The situation at the expressway is peaceful and under control. There has been no violence or untoward situation. The police are making efforts to ensure there is no law and order situation," Kumar said.

Farmers have been protesting against the Centre's farm laws fearing that they would lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price mechanism, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.

They have been demanding the repeal of the new laws.