By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – Police in northern India fired tear gas on Friday at a group of farmers attempting to march towards the national capital, demanding legislation to guarantee minimum support prices (MSP) for all crops, along with other long-pending demands.
Last month, farmer groups, primarily from the northern state of Punjab, announced a "Delhi Chalo" ("March to Delhi") campaign, citing unfulfilled promises from the government.
On Friday, as a group of 101 farmers began a foot march from Punjab toward the capital, police in the neighboring Haryana state blocked their entry, citing prohibitory orders, according to farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, who spoke to reporters at the protest site.
Security personnel deployed tear gas to prevent the farmers from crossing into Haryana, which borders the capital, Delhi. Pandher added that after being stopped, the farmers decided to temporarily halt their march until Sunday afternoon.
Farmers have been holding protests at two locations in Punjab for several months to press for their demands.
“The group of farmers will march again on Sunday. Tomorrow's day has been kept for talks with the central government,” said the farm leader, also criticizing the government for Friday’s action in which he said at least eight farmers sustained injuries.
The Haryana government on Friday had also suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS service in several villages of one of the districts.
Farmers have staged multiple protests in recent years, demanding a legal guarantee on MSP to protect them from price volatility, as well as full debt waivers, farm loan forgiveness, and agricultural reforms.
Two years ago, farmers marched to New Delhi to protest three farm laws. The laws were eventually repealed after months of sit-ins outside the capital.
On Friday, Indian Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told parliament that the government “will purchase all farm produce at minimum support price.”