The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday backed the farmers over their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march and said it was wrong to put the ‘Annadata’ in jail. The statement came as the AAP said it rejected the central government’s proposal to convert Delhi’s Bawana Stadium into a jail.
On Monday, the Centre wrote to the Delhi government to convert the Bawana Stadium as a temporary jail for the protesters detained during the farmers’ march on February 13.
On the government’s request, the AAP said the demands by the farmers were legitimate and that peaceful demonstration is the right of every citizen in the Constitution.
Farmers are the food providers of this country and it was wrong to put the ‘Annadata’ in jail, the party said.
Meanwhile, security in Delhi was intensified with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails, and walls of containers at border points to stop a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march of farmers from entering the national capital on Tuesday.
This came after talks between farm leaders and the Centre remained inconclusive.
Police and paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were deployed in massive numbers at the three border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.
Makeshift jails were also set up at “specific locations” in view of the march, an official told news agency PTI.