Farmers protest against three farm bills turn violent after protestors set a tractor on fire near India Gate

• Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate on Monday morning following protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country.
  
• Farmers across the country — in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Delhi — have been blocking highways, restricting access to rail and other transport to raise their voice against the agricultural-related laws.
  
• These laws allow farmers to sell their produce to private players outside the market set up by the government.
  
• Thousands of farmers in Karnataka have called for a day-long shutdown to protest the amendments.

Fresh violent protests have erupted in New Delhi a day after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the three farm bills.

Around 15-20 people set a tractor on fire at India Gate on Monday morning following protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week. The fire has been doused, and the tractor was removed.



Farmers across the country — in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi — have been blocking highways, restricting access to rail and other transport to raise their voice against the agricultural-related laws. Protesters are also said to have reportedly burned effigies of political leaders who support these bills.


These laws allow farmers to sell their produce to private players outside the market set up by the government. Before the law, farmers weren’t allowed to sell their produce outside an Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).

PM Narendra Modi has insisted in his latest Mann ki Baat that these laws will allow farmers to fetch a good price for their produce. However, farmers believe the laws remove the provision of the minimum support price, which gives an edge to a private player.

The Punjab Youth Congress staged a protest — and live-streamed the protest on their official Facebook page — against the Central government this morning

They said they are here to protest against the ‘black laws’ brought by the government for farmers of the country and are supported by the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab.

Protests across rest of India

Thousands of farmers in Karnataka have called for a day-long shutdown to protest the amendments. The dawn-to-dusk bandh call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the JD(S), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly.

In Goa, Congress is planning to hold a protest against the Centre's farm bills, which were passed by Parliament recently. The party said it would submit a memorandum against these "anti-farmer" bills to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari as part of its 'Chalo Raj Bhavan' protest.

In Punjab, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has been protesting by blocking the rail tracks since last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to join the farmers’ protests in Punjab and Haryana.

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