AAP urges Centre to hold talks with protesting farmers

New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai on Monday urged the central government to hold dialogue with the protesting farmers and fulfil their demands.

Addressing a press conference here, Rai alleged that the security measures taken by the Centre to control the farmers’ protest on February 13 is “more intense than that of the colonial era”.

Several farmer associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have called for the march on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021.

“Farmers do the job of providing food to all. As they decided to stage a protest on February 13, the Centre has come up with extreme security measures that are more intense than those of the colonial era,” Rai alleged.

“I urge the Centre to hold talks with the agitating farmers and resolve their problems,” he said.

A purported video showing nails and barricades along with other security measures at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders was also played during the press conference by the AAP.

Ahead of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo March’, the Delhi Police has intensified security arrangements at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders and installed nails along with barricades to prevent vehicles carrying protesters from entering the city

The ‘Delhi Chalo March’ organised by around 200 farmers’ unions and a large number of farmers is expected to reach the national capital on Tuesday from the three states.