Bengaluru, (Asian independent) Farmers would not be allowed to enter the city on tractors from outside on Tuesday for their protest rally against the three central farm laws, a top police official said on Monday.
“In view of the heightened security on the 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday, farmers will not be allowed to enter the city on tractors for their protest rally, as it would not only choke roads, but also cause traffic jam,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant told reporters here.
About 25,000 farmers from across Karnataka on Sunday planned to lead their protest rally to Bengaluru on about 10,000 tractors, trucks and other vehicles in support of their counterparts in the north who have been allowed to enter New Delhi on tractors for staging a kisan parade on Tuesday.
“The farmers are allowed to travel to the city in trains, buses or their vehicles but not on tractors for their protest rally at Freedom Park in the city centre as security will be tight to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident,” asserted Pant.
Additional police have been deployed on all roads leading to the city from across the state to stop tractors on the outskirts to prevent gridlock.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanga president K. Chandrashekar urged farmers from all districts to come to Bengaluru on tractors and trucks for the protest rally in solidarity with farmers staging tractors rally in the national capital.
“We will enter the city only after the main Republic Day function ends for a peaceful protest rally. We will not cause inconvenience to the people. We will leave the city after the rally,” Chandrashekar told reporters here, urging the police to lift the ban on farmers coming on tractors.
The state home department has also directed police in districts around Bengaluru to prevent tractors from leaving their towns and villages to enter the city.
Farmers from Mandya, Mysuru, Kodagu, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chitradurga and many districts will participate in the protest rally against the three farm laws.
“The rally will also be in protest against the APMC Act and Land Reforms Act, the BJP government in Karnataka has amended recently, as they are also against farmers and growers,” reiterated Chandrashekar.
