Farmers, who had gathered at the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana on Saturday, indicated they would not relent till they reached central Delhi, the seat of power, and protest peacefully at Jantar Mantar near Parliament House so that their grievances are heard by lawmakers.

The farmers, aggrieved over the three agriculture bills enacted by the government recently, iterated that they would not accept Delhi Police's offer to hold their protest at the Sant Nirankari ground at Burari in north Delhi.

The numbers of demonstrators swelled at the Singhu border as farmers camping there for their “Dilli Chalo” protest march were joined by more farmers from Punjab and Haryana, all of them refusing to move towards the Sant Nirankari Ground, one of the largest in the national capital.

"We have come all the way to protest against the Centre's new farm laws. What will we do at the Nirankari Ground in Burari, satsang? The government took votes from farmers by sitting in central Delhi. We want to go to Janpath and gherao Parliament House. We will not go back from here," said Manish Kadian, 38, a resident of a village in Haryana's Jhajjar district.

BKU members raise slogans during their protest at the Ghazipur border. PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders criticised the government’s handling of the farmers’ protests and said talks with them was the only way out.

The Congress leader tweeted a picture of a soldier showing a baton to an old farmer. “This is a very sad photo. Our slogan was 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', but today a soldier is standing against the farmer due to PM Modi's arrogance. This is very dangerous," he wrote in Hindi.

The Congress party said it would have been better if the Prime Minister talked to the protesting farmers instead of getting "himself photographed in corporate offices".

As many as eight Opposition parties likened the attempts by police to stop the farmers' march towards Delhi by using tear gas, water cannons and by digging up roads to "repression" and "waging a war".

Their leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK's T. R. Baalu, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, extended their support to the farmers and issued a statement.

"Braving severe repression, tear gassing, heavy water cannons, roadblocks, police barricades and digging up the national highways surrounding Delhi akin to waging a 'war' on our farmers, tens of thousands of farmers have successfully reached the National Capital of Delhi.

"We salute their determination and courage in this massive protest demanding the withdrawal of the retrograde anti-Kisan agri laws," they said in the statement.

Among the other signatories to the statement were CPI General Secretary D. Raja, RJD MP Manoj Jha, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, AIFB's Debabrata Biswas and RSP General Secretary Manoj Bhattacharya.

‘Not leaving highway’

Gurmej Singh, 62, from Punjab, said the farmers would not give up unless they were able to reach Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Ground in the heart of the national capital and hold their "peaceful" protest there. “We will not go to Nirankari ground. We will either go to Jantar Mantar or Ramlila ground or we will sit here. We have enough ration for six months and will not leave the highway," he said.

Members of an agricultural outfit perform a sit-in at the Delhi border. PTI

Singh, flanked by other protesting farmers, alleged that the Central government was anti-farmer and that its new agriculture laws would take away their livelihoods.

"I am a farmer and all my life I have only done farming. We are ready to even sacrifice our lives but will not move back from here. This government is not for farmers. They are not concerned about farmers' issues," Singh said.

Many of these farmers continued to hold their protest peacefully at the Singhu border where they have been holding meetings to decide on their next course of action and have also made arrangements for a longer stay at the Delhi-Haryana border.

Cleanliness, in crisis hour

Many farmers cleaned roads, cooked their lunch and collected garbage, keeping in mind the importance of hygiene amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Tezveer, 49, a resident of Jhajjar and pradhan of Beri Anaj Mandi, said they welcomed the farmers of Punjab and extended full support to them. "The government should either take this law back or give MSP to the farmers. We come daily from Jhajjar to Singhu border and bring raw ration and other necessary things, including milk, for the protesters," he said.

Elderly women, farmers cook for themselves at the Singhu border on Saturday. PTI

Most farmers gathered at the Tikri border between Delhi and Haryana have also refused the Delhi Police's offer to go to the north Delhi protest site. Sukhwinder Singh, who has been camping at the Tikri border since Friday evening, said, "We will continue to protest here. We will not move from here. Several other farmers are yet to join us from Haryana."

Asked why, Singh said, "We don't want to go to any ground provided by them in Burari. We want to go to Jantar Mantar and hold a peaceful demonstration there. Meetings are being held, and until the next course of action is decided, we will continue to protest here at the border peacefully," he added.

Ready for a long haul

The farmers at the Tikri border looked prepared for a long haul with enough rations and utensils to cook food. They have been charging their phones in their vehicles.

Jagtar Singh Bhagiwander, another farmer camping at Tikri, also maintained that they would not move ahead, but continue to fight for their rights from the national highway. “We won't proceed towards Burari. Yesterday, soon after we were granted permission to enter Delhi, we were told to move ahead in groups of 50 people one after the other. We refused to move in groups.

BKU members carry out a tractor rally at Ghazipur border. PTI

"This is an attempt to separate us. If we have come together all the way crossing different borders, we will continue to stay united. As of now, we have decided to stay here at Tikri. We will continue our fight from here until further course of action is decided," he said.

Farmers have expressed apprehension that the new farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.

The Centre has invited several Punjab farmer organisations for another round of talks in Delhi on December 3.