NEW DELHI: Indian police tightened security Saturday around camps where farmers have been protesting against new agricultural reform laws, as thousands more arrived to join the campaign.
Authorities cut internet links to most of the camps where tens of thousands of farmers have been based since November as they demand the repeal of the laws.
Tensions have been rising since a mass tractor rally on Tuesday turned into a rampage across Delhi where clashes between farmers and security forces left one dead and hundreds injured.
At least 10,000 new protesters have arrived since Thursday to bolster the campaign, according to observers.
In the camps, many farmers held a one-day fast on Saturday -- the 73rd anniversary of the assassination of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi -- in a bid to show their tactics are peaceful.
But outside, on top of the internet cut, police blocked a main road into the Ghazipur camp on the outskirts of Delhi.
Additional security forces were deployed after clashes erupted Friday between farmers and opponents of their campaign.
Some local groups say they want the protesters to go home but the farmers' leaders are adamant they will stay. There have been accusations that right-wing activists have manipulated the counter-protests.
The new laws allow farmers to sell their produce on the open market after decades of selling to state-run bodies.
Farmers say the changes will mean the takeover of the agriculture industry, which employs two-thirds of India's 1.3 billion population, by conglomerates.
The government says the changes will boost efficiency and rural incomes.
Police tighten security as thousands join Indian farmer protests
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Police tighten security as thousands join Indian farmer protests
- Authorities cut internet to most camps where thousands of farmers have been based since November
- Clashes between farmers and security forces on Tuesday left one dead and hundreds injured
Air India 777 aircraft turns back after drop in engine oil pressure, regulator says
- The aircraft, which was headed to Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated
- Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people
BENGALURU: An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft had to turn back after a drop in oil pressure forced the pilots to turn off one of the jet’s engines, India’s aviation regulator said on Monday.
The aircraft, which was headed to India’s financial capital of Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Modern aircraft are designed to safely fly and land on a single engine, if required. Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people. The DGCA has flagged multiple safety lapses at the airline, which was previously owned by the government till 2022. An Air India investigation into why one of its planes conducted commercial flights without an airworthiness permit found “systemic failures,” with the airline admitting it needed to do better on compliance, Reuters reported earlier this month.
On Monday, pilots observed a low engine oil pressure on the B777-300ER aircraft’s right-hand engine during flaps retraction after take-off. The pressure shortly thereafter dropped to zero and the crew shut down the engine and turned back as per procedure, the DGCA said.
“Air India sincerely regrets inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation. The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The aircraft is 15 years old and has flown to locations such as Vienna, Vancouver and Chicago, according to Flightradar24. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.
