Thousands of Indian farmers protest in New Delhi demanding a law guaranteeing minimum crop prices

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Thousands of farmers are protesting in India's capital to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices

NEW DELHI — Thousands of farmers protested in India's capital on Thursday to press their demand for a new law that would guarantee minimum crop prices, after weeks of being blocked from entering the city.

They rode crowded buses and trains instead of their tractors to New Delhi after authorities barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks and barbed wire. Police also banned use of farm vehicles as a condition for granting permission for the rally in the city. Participants were also barred from carrying sticks or swords to avoid clashes with police.

The protesters held placards demanding free electricity for farming. They contended that without minimum price guarantees for their crops, they would be at the mercy of the markets and that would spell disaster, especially for the more than two-thirds of them who own less than 1 hectare (2 1/2 acres) of land.

The rally, organized by the United Farmers Front, was held at Ramlila Ground, which is used for religious festivals, major political meetings and entertainment events.

Police also set a condition for the rally that no more than 5,000 people would participate, the Press Trust of India news agency said. The rally was scheduled to end later Thursday.

Chitwant Singh, a protester, said farmers didn't earn enough to cover their costs. «The traders and middlemen take away all our profits,” he said.

The protests come at a crucial time for India, which has a national election in April-May in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing party is widely expected to secure a third successive term. Farmers are a particularly influential