New Delhi: The Delhi government has denied permission to the Central government to convert Bawana Stadium into a temporary jail in view of the farmers’ march to the national capital on Tuesday.
In a letter to the chief secretary, Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gehlot said, “The demands of the farmers are genuine. Secondly, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to make a peaceful protest. It is therefore incorrect to arrest the farmers.”
“The Central Government, in fact, should invite them over for talks and try to find a solution to their genuine problems,” he said.
Referring to the farmers of the country as “annadata,” he said, “Treating them in this way by arresting them would be like rubbing salt into their wounds.”
“We cannot be a party to this decision of the Central Government. The approval cannot be given for converting a stadium into a jail,” he further said.