NEW YORK, 6 February, 2021 (TON): The UN human rights called on the Indian authorities and the farmers protesting to apply maximum restraint hours before the farmers impose a nationwide road blockade on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi for more than two months, blocking key roads and demonstrating against the laws they say will benefit large private buyers at their expense.

The protests have been peaceful except for the tractor rally on 26 January, 2021 that caught national as well global attention.

Since then, authorities have shut down the mobile internet in parts of the national capital and heavily barricaded border roads to prevent protesters from coming into the city again.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday, "The rights to peaceful assembly & expression should be protected both offline & online," "It's crucial to find equitable solutions with due respect to #HumanRights for all."

The farmers have hold a three-hour "chakka jam", or road blockade announced on Monday, against  the Union government’s three farm laws, started around noon local time (0630 GMT) across the country except in New Delhi and a couple of neighboring states.

While the protests were initiated by rice and wheat growers from northern India, particularly opposition-ruled Punjab state, support has been growing across the country.

The issue has also caught international attention with celebrities such as pop star Rihanna and environment campaigner Greta Thunberg announcing their support for the farmers. The United States has also urged India to resume talks with farmers.

The government of Modi as held several rounds of talks with the farmer representatives to resolve the differences saying the reforms will bring much needed investment to the sector, but the group stands firm on the repeal of the laws.