The confrontation happened when police tried to stop the farmers, from the northern state of Punjab, crossing a bridge about 200 kilometres from Delhi. After a two-hour stand-off, police eventually allowed the marchers to continue towards the capital. Issues such as drought and mounting debt have been blamed for the suicides of thousands of farmers in recent years. "For nearly two months, farmers have been protesting peacefully in Punjab without any problem," Amarinder Singh, chief minister of Punjab, said on Thursday. The protesting farmers had also blocked the movement of trains in Punjab for the last two months, before yielding to public and government pressure and lifting the blockade.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 26, 2020 10:18 UTC