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New Delhi: Convoys of tractor trolleys bedecked with flowers and playing 'victory songs' on Saturday rolled out of the Singhu protest site, as farmers head home after over a year of agitation at the Delhi-Haryana border, which for many had become home. Before bidding farewell to Singhu, some farmers performed 'havans' and sang 'kirtans', and some danced to 'bhangra' songs to mark the day as 'Vijay Diwas'.

Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, had gathered here in large numbers on November 26 last year to protest against three central farm laws and demand their withdrawal. The laws were repealed last month by Parliament and after the government also conceded to other demands of the farmers, including a panel for legal guarantee on MSP, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday announced suspension of the protest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that emerging technologies such as cryptocurrencies should be used to empower democracy, not undermine it.

In his address at a virtual "Summit for Democracy" hosted by US President Joe Biden, PM Modi said, "We must shape global norms for emerging tech like social media, cryptocurrencies so they are used to empower democracy, not undermine it."

PM Modi began by saying that he is proud to represent the world's largest democracy at the summit. "The democratic spirit is integral to our civilisational ethos," he said.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Thursday made an obituary reference on the death of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and others but did not allow party leaders to express their condolences separately.

As Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge suggested that party leaders be allowed to make brief references after a statement on the tragedy by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Deputy Chairman did not permit it.

Harivansh said the House had collectively expressed its feelings on the incident through his obituary reference earlier, and there was no need as per House tradition for individual references.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat died when a Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed in Coonoor of Tamil Nadu. The four-star general was on his way to Wellington from Sulur airbase. He was accompanied by his wife Madhulika Rawat, who too was killed in the tragic accident.

General Bipin Rawat became the first officer of the Indian armed forces to hold the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2019. The post was newly created as part of the government's efforts to restructure India's armed forces to meet present-day challenges.

General Bipin Rawat was named CDS just a day before he was to retire as the Indian Army chief, a position that he held for a full three-year term.

At least 120 Opposition MPs of the Rajya Sabha will join a sit-in protest in the Parliament complex on Wednesday, ramping up the agitation against the suspension of 12 members of the Upper House amid hectic consultations over a fresh offensive against the ruling dispensation, according to people aware of the matter.

On Thursday, several Opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha are also likely to join the dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament complex in solidarity with their Rajya Sabha counterparts, the people cited above said.

The 12 MPs — six from the Congress, two each from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena, and one each from the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) — are holding an indefinite sit-in. On Monday last week, they were suspended for the remainder of the winter session after the House passed a motion moved by the government seeking their suspension under Rule 256 for their “unruly and violent behaviour” in the Upper House during the monsoon session.