Build bridges, not walls: Rahul Gandhi's message to Centre

Reacting to the placement of barricades and concertina wires near the ongoing farmers' protest site in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked the Central government to build bridges and not walls. Sharing an image of the barricades on Twitter, Gandhi wrote: " build bridges, not walls".

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared similar sentiments on Twitter. Posting an image of the extensive barricades, Priyanka asked if the Prime Minister was preparing for a war against the farmers.

Citing the possibility of unrest, the police have increased the security and strengthened the barricades along Delhi's borders. Near Delhi's border with Uttar Pradesh, the police have placed wires between four layers of barricades to stop farmers from crossing over.

A part of the Delhi-Haryana border has been blocked using a makeshift wall, made primarily of cement, the PTI reported. Along the Delhi-Haryana border, police personnel have hooked iron rods between two rows of cement barriers. 

With the government and the protesting farmers unable to arrive at a consensus, the farmers have now called for a countrywide "chakka jam" protest on Saturday.

Thousands of farmers, who have been protesting since the end of November 2020, demand that PM Modi repeal the three farm laws, enacted in September, which they say could make them vulnerable to retail giants like Walmart Inc and India's Reliance Industries.

The government says the laws, which let farmers bypass government-regulated wholesale markets and sell directly to buyers, are a reform that gives farmers more options. It has sought to assure the farmers that the guaranteed-pricing system will not be dismantled.