Tractors, trucks block India's roads as farm protests widen

People raise their hands as they attend a Maha Panchayat or grand village council meeting as part of a farmers' protest against farm laws at Bhainswal in Shamli district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

KUNDLI, India (Reuters) - Thousands of farmers across India blocked roads on Saturday with makeshift tents, tractors, trucks and boulders to pressure the government to roll back agricultural reforms that have triggered months-long protests.

While the initial protests were started by rice and wheat growers from northern India who camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi, demonstrations have spread across the country, especially in states not ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.