'Farmers have right to protest but none can take law into hands'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Nov, 2021 11:56 AM
New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday said the farmers have democratic right to protest but no one can be allowed to take law into his hands.
"The farmers' agitation has been going on for a long time. Since I have joined [as Commissioner], farmers have been allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar. The farmers have democratic right to protest but no one can be allowed to take law into their hands," the Commissioner said during an event at the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) here.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently announced the repeal of three controversial farm laws after a year of protests. Thousands of farmers are still camping at Delhi's borders and several died from heat, cold and Covid.
Commissioner Asthana said that Delhi Police is committed to maintain law and order in the city.
Speaking on the cases registered against farmers for the January 26 violent protests, Asthana informed that some cases have been registered against the farmers. "We have investigated and some have been chargesheeted," he added.
Meanwhile, the union cabinet cleared 'The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021' on Wednesday that will repeal the three contentious farm laws, as announced by the Prime Minister on November 19.
A nine-member committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the consortium of protesting farmers' bodies, will be meeting on Saturday, and it is likely to put forth four main demands. The meeting will also decide whether the SKM will go ahead with the originally announced 'March Towards Delhi' programme on November 26.
Congress legislator and Punjab unit party president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said the minimum support price (MSP) is the bigger issue than farm laws as it is the lifeline of farmers.
Extending his greetings to the people on Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev, the Chief Minister said it was really a matter of great honour to inaugurate this prestigious project which happens to coincide with Gurpurab.
Three employees of Air India, accused of having a role in the smuggling of gold, have been arrested, officials said on Friday. They have been accused of having a hand in a recent incident wherein 1.5 kg gold -- stored beneath an aircraft's seat -- was seized.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Friday to repeal the three farm laws has brought cheers to the agitating farmers' organisations.However, Anil Ghanwat, a farm leader from Maharashtra who was one of the three members of the Supreme Court appointed committee on farm laws earlier this year, has termed the decision as "unfortunate".
Coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi also announced that the constitutional process to repeal the laws would be taken up in the winter session of Parliament that begins on November 29 and appealed to the agitating farmers to withdraw their agitation and go back to their homes.
