Home Minister Amit Shah is meeting National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivasta, and IB chief Aravind Kumar in the Parliament in New Delhi on Thursday, 4 February, ahead of the call for chakka jaam given by farm unions on 6 February.
Farmers have been protesting against the three contentious agriculture laws near the borders of Delhi for more than two months now.
“There’ll be a three-hour-long chakka jaam on 6 February. It won’t take place in Delhi but everywhere outside Delhi. The people that will be stuck in it will be given food and water. We will tell them what the government is doing with us,” said Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader to news agency, ANI.
Much furore has erupted over the international attention that the farmers’ protest gathered after global celebrities like Thunberg and Rihanna, among others, tweeted their support for the ongoing agitation.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday released a strongly worded statement against them, saying, "The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible."
Later, Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to slam the comments made by foreign individuals and entities on the farmers' protests in India, saying, “No propaganda can deter India’s unity!” and added that, “India stands united and together to achieve progress.”
Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi on Thursday said that unity of the nation is of utmost priority to the government.
On 26 January, violence erupted in parts of Delhi during the farmers' Republic Day tractor rally.
While the protesting farmer unions have demanded a repeal of the laws, the government has offered to suspend the laws for 18 months and form a committee to resolve the issues.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)