New Delhi, October 2: The Opposition parties on Tuesday attacked the Centre after the Delhi Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop thousands of farmers from entering the national capital. Leaders of the opposition parties including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief and Delhi Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury took a dig at the Modi government for not fulfilling the promises made to the farmers.

Thousands of farmers, under the umbrella of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) participated in the protest over various demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices, a provision of a pension to every farmer aged above 60, reduction in electricity tariff among other demands.

Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack at the BJP government and said BJP's two-year-old Gandhi Jayanti celebration on World Nonviolence Day began peacefully with the thrashing of farmers entering Delhi. The Gandhi scion said the fact that government is brutally beating up India's farmers on a day when the nation is celebrating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. 'Kisan Kranti Padyatra' to Reach Delhi Today, Security Tightened.

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Modi government has shown that it is no different from the pre-independence British government in India. “British govt then used to exploit the farmers & today Modi govt is firing tear gas shells at farmers”, he added.

Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) said police action on farmers is wrong. “Our leaders are holding a meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. We will decide our next course of action after consultation with our leaders”, he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the AAP government is with the farmers and all the farmers should be allowed to enter Delhi. “Why are they not being allowed to enter Delhi? This is wrong. We are with the farmers”, Kejriwal said.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury termed the Modi government as anti-farmers and said the country had not seen an agrarian distress in India ever since Independence. “Instead of providing relief to farmers they are exasperating the crisis further forcing farmers to be under debt burden & distress suicides. We haven't seen such an agrarian distress in India since independence”, he added.

Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav extended his support to the farmers’ rally and said this government has not fulfilled the promises it made to the farmers, so it is natural that farmers would protest. It is unfortunate, and we fully support the farmers.

In east Delhi, the prohibitory orders issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pankaj Singh under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, will be in force until October 8. The Kisan Yatra has been organised from Patanjali in Uttarakhand to Kisan Ghat in Delhi via Muzaffarnagar, Daurala, Partapur, Modi Nagar/Muradnagar, Hindon Ghat between September 23 and October 2. A massive crowd gathered on streets and blocked traffic movement on roads leading to the national capital.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2018 02:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).