New Delhi: Farmer leaders representing the thousands of agrarian protesters agitating against the Centre three new farm laws, on Tuesday again met with officers of the Delhi Police to discuss their planned protest near Parliament during the Monsoon Session and insisted that regardless of a permit, they intend to march to Jantar Mantar to stage their protest.
With the farmers putting their foot down, the question now is whether the Delhi Police will permit a protest at Jantar Mantar. While sources aware of Tuesday's meeting told Millennium Post that the police have told farmers that they will consider all aspects and reach out, there appears to be no clarity yet on whether the police will allow any kind of protest in the coming week.
The Delhi Police are yet to take a call on Jantar Mantar or any other venue for that matter and intense meetings are underway regularly to decide this.
Sources in Delhi Police claimed that the meeting was held between the officers from the Special Branch of Delhi Police and nine farmer leaders. "It was a well-coordinated meeting and ended on a positive note," one police source said.
Meanwhile, another source aware of the meeting, said the Delhi Police officials told farmers about the protocol related to gatherings and also DDMA orders. After the discussion, Delhi Police officials told farmers that they will let them know about their decision.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) the umbrella under which farmer unions are protesting, has prepared and presented what they have called a "full-proof" plan to avoid any law and order situations. The SKM said 200 protesters will reach the protest site every day to attend Kisan Sansads with colour-coded identity cards, for which colours will keep changing to avoid impersonation. They have also arranged for buses to transport protesters so they can be tracked.
Farmers intend to showcase how deliberative democratic processes are to be run, to strengthen Indian democracy.
As per SKM, the plans will be executed in an orderly, disciplined and peaceful manner. 200 selected protesters will leave from Singhu Border each day, with ID cards. SKM also stated that any violation of discipline will not be tolerated. But they have purportedly told the police if any outside elements tries to disrupt their movement, the police should make sure it does not happen.
"We have asked for lists of farmers who will go to Jantar Mantar from every farmer organisation who are protesting with us for the cause," one official from SKM said.
They are ensuring that at least five from each union participate in the protest.