Farmers Protest: Chakka Jam on February 6, states on alert

New Delhi : Farmers' Unions on Tuesday announced chakka jam on February 6 to surge their protest against the three controversial farm laws. It has been announced that the national highways will be blocked to protest against the internet ban across the border areas.

Union leaders held a press conference at Singhu border and informed that the national highways will be blocked between 12 noon to 3 PM on February 6. They also mentioned that the government has ignored farmers in the recently announced union budget for the year.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of protesting unions, also alleged that the Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha and a user named 'Tractor2Twitter' have been restricted.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, a farmer leader from Punjab, said during the press conference that the protest will also be against the harassment faced by many journalists at the protest site by the police officials.

"Our February 6 protest would also be against this harassment faced by journalists who are trying to report the truth from the ground, and the Twitter restrictions," he said.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during budget presentation that the government is committed towards the welfare of the farmers and on that note she proposed 10 per cent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, and introduced an agri infra and development cess of up to 100 per cent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income.

(Image Courtesy: ANI)