Ten days after unprecedented violence during a farmers' tractor rally marred India's Republic Day celebrations in parts of Delhi, the protesters observed a three-hour chakka jam (road block) across the country amid high alert in the national capital today.
Highways across north India, including the Eastern Peripheral Expressway around Delhi were blocked by farmers protesting against the centre's three farm laws passed in September.
In Bengaluru, 30 people were taken into preventive custody.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said Saturday afternoon that farmers will not return home till their demands are met, and will not be pressured into holding talks with the centre.
Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 infection tally climbed to 1,08,14,304 with 11,713 new cases in a day, while 1,05,10,796 people have recuperated so far pushing the national recovery rate to 97.19 per cent on Saturday, according to Union Health Ministry data.
There are 1,48,590 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which accounts for 1.37 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 1,08,14,304 and the death count climbed to 1,54,918 with the novel coronavirus virus claiming 95 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.43 per cent.