Amid farmers' protest, Kejriwal denies consent to Police for converting stadiums into jail

Amid escalating tension at the Haryana-Delhi border, Arvind Kejriwal has denied permission to convert stadiums into temporary prisons in order to detain the farmers. The request was made by Delhi Police at a time when RAF, CISF and Police are facing intense pressure from the farmers at the entry points of the national capital. CM Kejriwal had tweeted in support of Punjab farmers and their protest against the agriculture laws, stating that peaceful demonstration was a Constitutional right. 

READ | Farmers intensify 'Dilli Chalo' march, RAF deployed at border, water cannons & cranes used

Amid tight security at all entry points of the national capital, the clash between the farmers of Punjab and the Police continued on day three. Farmers have refused to back off from their 'Delhi Chalo' march and are standing at various points of Punjab-Haryana with dramatic visuals seen at Shambhu, Tikri, Singhu checkpoints. With modified tractors and rations, farmers have said that they won't go back and more farmers will join by the evening of November 27. Farmers were also seen using a tractor to move a truck placed as a barricade to stop them from entering the capital at Tikri border near the Delhi-Bahadurgarh highway. In response of this, Police is continuously firing tear gas shell and water cannons.

READ | Delhi Police Seeks CM Kejriwal's Permission To Convert Stadiums Into 'temporary Prisons'

While Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has urged Haryana CM ML Khattar to not stop the farmers at the border, Khattar has warned Amarinder against provoking farmers and has said that he will resign if MSP is altered due to new farm laws. Punjab and Haryana farmers are marching towards Delhi protesting the Centre's three Farm Acts.

On Day 2, visuals at Shambhu, Punjab-Haryana border, showed protesters picking up one of the metal barricades and tossing it off over a river-bridge, to which the police retaliated by lathi-charging, water-cannon and tear gas. This has been ongoing since Wednesday, with Congress, AAP and Akali Dal condemning the Centre for stopping the farmers, while BJP has accused the Opposition of 'inciting innocent farmers'.

READ | Punjab CM Refutes Haryana CM's Claims, Says 'didn't Receive Any Calls From Khattar'

What are the controversial Farm Laws?

The Centre promulgated three ordinances affecting agriculture. Agriculture foodstuff including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, and potato are to be deregulated while stock limits were to be imposed only under extreme conditions, under the amendment to the Essential Commodities act. The Farmers' produce trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act was to enable better price realisation for farmers by attracting investments - making the agriculture sector competitive.

Under the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm services ordinance, 2020, it provided a framework for the protection and empowerment of farmers with reference to the sale and purchase of farm products overriding all state APMC laws. State governments in Punjab, Rajasthan have passed laws annulling the Centre's laws.

READ | 'States not competent to negate farm laws passed in Parliament': BJP MP PP Choudhary