More farmers will start coming back to the protest sites from Friday, says SKM’s Darshan Pal

Chandigarh, April 22

Farmers camping at Delhi’s borders in protest against three new agriculture laws of the Centre on Thursday said one side of the highway at the Singhu border will be cleared for giving passage to vehicles carrying oxygen supplies.

The decision was taken after the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farm unions that is spearheading the agitation, met officials of the Haryana government in the evening.

“At the meeting, it was decided to remove the barricades on one side of the highway at the Singhu border to give a free passage to oxygen, ambulance and other such emergency services,” SKM leader Darshan Pal said in a statement here.

He said the protesting farmers will support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in every possible way and they are committed to causing the least inconvenience to the citizens.

The meeting was attended by the Sonepat superintendent of police, officials of the Chief Minister’s Office and several SKM leaders, the statement said.

Darshan Pal dismissed the allegation against the protesting farmers of obstructing oxygen supply to Delhi as “baseless”.

He alleged that the police were seen “misdirecting” the trucks carrying oxygen towards the protest sites, instead of guiding the vehicles towards the shortest route to the national capital.

The farmer leader further blamed the government for putting up barricades on the road that were obstructing a free passage of vehicles.

He said more farmers will start coming back to the protest sites from Friday.

A large convoy of protesters will be leaving for the Singhu border from Barwasni in Haryana’s Sonepat district on tractor trolleys, he added. PTI