Farmers camp in Delhi border protesting against Centre's farm laws
New Delhi/IBNS: Thousands of farmers, who are protesting against the new contentious farm laws enacted by the Narendra Modi government, camped around the Delhi border on Saturday, media reports said.
The farmers, who wanted to protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, camped despite being allocated a protesting site in the outskirts of Delhi.
At least three highways leading to Delhi have been blocked by the protests.
The farmers, who were heading from Punjab and Haryana, were water cannoned and tear gassed by police.
The Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market.
However, farmers and opposition leaders criticised the Centre's move stating small peasants will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited.
The laws (then bills) had also left the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) red-faced as its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had left the ruling national coalition on the issue.
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