Tue Dec 03 19:31:17 UTC 2024: **Over 160 Farmers Arrested in Uttar Pradesh During Land Compensation Protest**

NOIDA, India (December 4, 2024) – Uttar Pradesh police arrested over 160 farmers on Tuesday for protesting at Noida’s Dalit Prerna Sthal. The farmers, primarily from western Uttar Pradesh, had marched to demand higher compensation for land acquired by the state government for various projects, including the Yamuna Expressway. Their protest followed the halting of a march to Parliament the previous day.

Prominent figures among the arrested include Bhartiya Kisan Parishad chief Sukhbir Khalifa and the west U.P. president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Pawan Khatana. Police cited Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita as the basis for the arrests, stating it was to prevent a cognisable offence.

The farmers’ demands extend beyond land compensation, including 10% reservation for displaced families’ children in schools and colleges, free electricity and water, and an increase in circle rates, which they claim haven’t been revised since 2017.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farm unions, strongly condemned the arrests, calling them a violation of the right to peaceful protest and accusing the police of forcibly evicting other protesters. The SKM alleges the police violated a previously agreed-upon plan for a peaceful demonstration at Dalit Prerna Sthal. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait warned the protest could escalate into a nationwide agitation.

The arrests caused significant traffic jams at the Delhi-Noida border due to heavy police presence.

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