Home minister Amit Shah on Friday met with senior government, police and security officials and discussed ways to pre-empt any chances of violence on Delhi’s borders in connection with the ongoing farmers’ agitation, people familiar with the matter said.
The people cited above added that intelligence reports suggest the presence of at least 10 such groups among the protesting farmers.
The farmer groups are protesting the passage of three farm reform laws and have rejected a government proposal that met some of their demands; they are demanding a complete repeal of the laws, which the government has ruled out.
However, the government has maintained that it is still open to discussing the issues farmers have with the laws and address them.
The protesting groups, which appear to have hardened their position, have said that on Saturday, December 12, farmers will block the Delhi-Jaipur highway.
Farmers have also threatened more protests on December 14.
Interestingly, right from October, the demands of the protesting farmers have included the release of “imprisoned intellectuals and democratic rights activists and student activists”.
