Thousands of people led by farmers’ union Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti and organisations affiliated to Left parties marched to the governor’s residence, Raj Bhawan, in Bihar’s capital Patna on Tuesday, demanding the scrapping of the three new agriculture laws.

The march started from Gandhi Maidan in Patna and was intercepted by the police at the Dak Bungalow Chowk by barricades and batons, resulting in a clash, reported NDTV. The protestors were baton-charged by the police and several people were injured, according to PTI. Some of them were taken to the hospital for treatment.

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Traffic was also disrupted as the protestors marched through Frazer Road before they were stopped at the Dak Bungalow crossing.

Meanwhile, the agitation of farmers’ bodies against the new laws at various borders of the national Capital entered its 35th day on Tuesday. A sixth round of talks between the unions and the Centre is scheduled to take place on December 30 with the aim of resolving the deadlock on the new legislations. Five meetings between the two sides have so far failed to yield any result, with the farmers adamant on their demand of repealing the three laws and the Centre only agreeing to make changes to them.

Farm law protests

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at key entry points to Delhi for over a month. They fear the agricultural reforms will weaken the minimum support price mechanism under which the government buys agricultural produce, will lead to the deregulation of crop-pricing, deny them fair remuneration for their produce and leave them at the mercy of corporations.

The government maintains that the new laws will give farmers more options in selling their produce, lead to better pricing, and free them from unfair monopolies. It has refused to repeal the legislations, but has offered to amend certain sections.