Indian police fired tear gas on Wednesday to scatter thousands of protesting farmers as they sought to resume a march to Delhi after rejecting a government offer on prices for their produce, while authorities offered a fresh round of negotiations.
Fleeing the stinging gas and clouds of smoke, the farmers, some wearing medical masks, ran into the fields surrounding their gathering point on a highway about 200 km (125 miles) north of New Delhi.
The police action came as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a new offer to resume talks on the farmers’ demands. Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda urged the farmers to resolve their grievances through the talks.
Farmers’ leaders went into a huddle to discuss Wednesday’s offer after the police action brought the march to a halt.
The farmers, mostly from the northern state of Punjab, have been demanding higher prices backed by law for their crops. They form an influential bloc of voters Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot afford to anger ahead of general elections due by May.
