Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda  asked the Centre to treat farmers with dignity and engage with them, as he expressed “extreme distress” over police confrontation with them.

Farmers from Punjab faced water cannons and broke police barriers at the states’ border with Haryana as they pushed towards the national capital on Thursday in their ”Delhi Chalo” march against the Centres farm laws.

“I am extremely distressed seeing the images of confrontation with farmers near Delhi.I request the Union Government to treat farmers with dignity. Please engage with them.Listen to them. Police force
cannot solve the problem.#FarmersProtest,” Mr Gowda tweeted.

The farmers are demanding repeal of the new farm laws which deregulate the sale of agricultural produce.

They claim the laws will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system.