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he United Nations body for Human Rights on Friday called on the authorities of India and the protesting farmers to exercise maximum restraint against the new farm laws. The UN body also emphasized that it is critical to find “equitable solutions” with due respect to human rights for all.

The Office of United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that the rights to assemble peacefully and right to expression should be protected both online and offline. It tweeted “#India: We call on the authorities and the protestors to exercise maximum restraint in ongoing #FarmersProtest. The rights to peacefully assemble and expression should be protected both online & offline. It is crucial to find equitable solutions with due respect for #HumanRights for all.”

Farmers mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been camping at 3 border points in Delhi for over 70 days demanding a complete repeal of the recently enacted farm laws. The farmers are holding a nationwide ‘chakka jam’ (road block) for 3 hours in the country today from 12-3pm in a peaceful manner and the farmer unions have announced that no ‘chakka jam’ will be observed in the national capital of Delhi. The road block is a protest against the internet ban in the areas near the protesting sites, harassments by the authorities at the protest sites and other issues said the Samyukt Kisam Morcha (SKM).

The government and various farm unions have sat down for 11 rounds of talks but the deadlock remained as the farmer unions stick to their demand of repealing the farm laws and the government said it will hold up the implementation of the law for 12-18 months.