New Delhi: The three-hour nationwide 'chakka jam' called by farmers against the government's Internet suspension at Delhi's border areas came to an end on Saturday.
With highways across north India, including the Eastern Peripheral Expressway around Delhi, remaining blocked from 12 pm to 3 pm, there were scattered demonstrations in several other states.
Protesters also stalled traffic on roads in parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. 'Rasta roko' protests were staged in Maharashtra's Karad and Kolhapur. A few pro-Kannada organisations too came in support of the agitators and staged demonstrations in Bengaluru and other cities.
Meanwhile, protesting farmer unions on Saturday said they are ready to resume talks with the government, but asked it to come up with a fresh proposal as the existing offer to put the three farm laws on hold for 12-18 months is not acceptable to them.
The unions, however, made it clear that they would not settle for anything less than the repeal of the three contentious laws.
Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border here, Samyukta Kisan Morcha's senior leader Darshan Pal said: "We are ready to talk. The ball is in the government's court. We clearly told them that their last proposal (of suspending the farm laws for 12-18 months) was not acceptable to us. Now, they should come up with a new proposal."
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farm unions leading the protests at the city border points, thanked all global personalities for their support to the protests. He said the farmers have been on the agitation for "many months and many farmers have been martyred".
"It is a shame that at the behest of the government, some people want to suppress this movement by calling it as an 'internal matter', but it is necessary to understand that in democracy, people are superior, not the government," it stated.
The assertion comes in the backdrop of support extended by some global celebrities such as singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg to the farmers' protests against the three laws.
Talking about Saturday's 'chakka jam', the farmer leader claimed it got huge nationwide support which once again "proved" that farmers across the country are united against these farm laws.
Pal also condemned Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar's statement in Parliament on Friday.
The SKM claimed that according to the information compiled so far, 204 agitators have died in the ongoing movement, but the government is still in denial mode.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said they have given time to the government till October 2 to repeal the farm laws, failing which the farm unions would plan further protests. Speaking at the Ghazipur protest site, Tikait said: "We have given time to the government till October 2 to repeal the laws. After this, we will do further planning." The 51-year-old farm leader cautioned that they "won't hold discussions with the government under pressure". He reiterated: "We won't return home unless our demands are met."
The Home ministry extended the suspension of Internet services to 'maintain public safety' at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders of Delhi and other adjoining areas too till 23:59 hours on February 6.