Farmers’ Protest: Cracks within, Farmers call off Feb 1 Parliament march

NEW DELHI: As cracks began to appear in farmers' ongoing agitation against the Agri laws, farmer unions on Wednesday canceled their planned march to Parliament on 1 February when the Budget would be presented.

The decision by farmer unions came a day after massive violence during their tractor parade in the national capital that left nearly 400 police personnel injured.

The farmer leaders, however, alleged that there was a conspiracy behind Tuesday's incidents and demanded a probe.

A farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal claimed that over two lakh tractors and lakhs of people participated in Tuesday's parade and "99.9 percent of the protesters were peaceful".

Two farmer unions withdrew from the ongoing agitation on Delhi’s borders on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) president Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh said he was deeply pained by whatever happened during the tractor parade in the national capital, adding that his union was ending its protest.

The security has been tightened at the Delhi border where thousands of farmers have been protesting.

Farmers at the Ghazipur border put on alert the whole night anticipating police action after Uttar Pradesh authorities allegedly switched off the street lights.

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The entry and exit gates of Lal Quila metro station are closed. Normal service is available on all other stations, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Thursday.

Entry gates of Jama Masjid metro station are also closed. After farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day turned violent in the national capital, the police deployment has been increased at the Delhi borders, where thousands of farmers have been protesting against the farm laws for now over 50 days. They have been demanding the repeal of the laws and legal guarantee to MSP.  

Meanwhile, Red Fort ‘flag-hoister’ Jugraj’s parents allegedly fled their village, leaving behind his grandparents to face the police and media.

Jugraj Singh, a 23-year-old from Wan Tara Singh, is believed to have hoisted the Nishan Sahib on the ramparts

According to villagers, police had “raided” Jugraj’s house several times and returned empty-handed.