Police in Uttar Pradesh took more than 170 farmers into preventive arrest, a day after farmers had blocked the main highway from Noida to Delhi demanding higher compensation for land acquisition.

National farmers collective Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) slammed the police action.

They said in a statement: “The SKM protested the arrogance of the UP administration, both revenue and police departments for nakedly violating the consensus made with the farmers' leadership on 2nd December 2024 asking for 7 days for the chief secretary of UP to discuss with the farmers' leadership and resolve the demands. As per their request, the farmers had shifted the spot of the struggle to the Dalit Prerna Sthal at Ambedkar Park and continued the night and day sit-in struggle. But police force was deployed in huge numbers and forcefully evicted the peacefully agitating farmers.”

Those arrested on Tuesday afternoon include Bharatiya Kisan Parishad leader Sukhbir Khalifa and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Western Uttar Pradesh) president Pawan Khatana.