NEW DELHI, May 23 (Xinhua) — Indian farmers Thursday assembled at Shambhu and Khanauri border points near the northern Indian state of Haryana border to mark the completion of 100 days of their ongoing protest to press the federal government to accept their demands.
Thousands of farmers on their tractors embarked on the Delhi march on Feb. 13 this year seeking fulfilment of their demands including Minimum Support Price (MSP) for over two dozen crops.
Their march was stopped by the police and since then they have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.
The protesting farmers’ assembly to commemorate the 100th day of their ongoing protest has coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally in Punjab’s Patiala.
Reports said some of the protesting farmers have started their march towards the venue of Modi’s rally.
Meanwhile, authorities have deployed government forces in Patiala and set up 10 barricades on roads leading into Patiala.
“We have placed sand-laden trucks to stop entry of any vehicles into Patiala and there will be only designated routes from where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers can enter, while no other vehicle will be allowed till evening,” a senior police official was quoted in local media as having said.
According to police officials, the protesting farmers will not be allowed on roads until the rally ends.
In February, a young farmer was killed and many others injured during their unsuccessful attempts to defy the restrictions and proceed towards Delhi.
Several rounds of talks between the farmers and government ministers ended in failure.