Last Updated:December 06, 2024, 16:04 IST

Protesting farmers are marching to Delhi from the Shambhu border today, demanding a legal guarantee for MSP and other reforms. Prohibitory orders and heavy security has been put in place.

Tear gas shells fired on farmers at Shambhu border (L)/A group of protesting farmers (R)

Several farmers were detained at Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk as they commenced their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march from the Shambhu border to Delhi on Friday. The march also led to traffic snarls in many areas as heavy deployment of security personnel was made for checking at the borders and central Delhi.

The police also fired tear gas shells as the farmers removed barbed wires and barricades put up by the police in an attempt to cross the Shambhu border.

More than a hundred farmers embarked on a foot march from the Shambhu border to Delhi, despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Ambala, restricting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district.

Some farmers were also stopped at the Shambhu border and were not allowed to move towards Delhi. Later, speaking to the media, a police officer said, “The farmers don’t have permission to enter Haryana. The Ambala administration has imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.”

Hours ahead of the march, the Delhi Police had heightened security at all borders and sounded an alert. However, heavy police presence and barricading led to traffic snarls in several areas, including in Noida and Greater Noida.

The police said they were keeping an eye on the Noida border as well, where another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh was observing a sit-in.

Meanwhile, internet services were suspended in Ambala until December 9 due to the ongoing farmers’ protest. Any procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes was also restricted until further orders.

All schools in the district, both government and private, were ordered shut on Friday following official orders due to the farmers’ movement.

FARMERS’ ‘DILLI CHALO’ MARCH: HEAVY SECURITY

Even as the Ambala district administration on Wednesday asked the farmers to reconsider their march and contemplate any action only after obtaining permission from Delhi Police, the police sounded an alert and sent senior officers to the border to assess the security situation there.

Water cannons and concrete barricades were put up at the Singhu border since morning today to stop the farmers marching towards Delhi.

Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed on the Haryana side of the border along with multi-layer barricading.

A multilayered barricading is already in place at the Shambhu border point — Rajpura (Punjab)-Ambala (Haryana) – on National Highway-44.

However, police and other public servants on duty would be exempted from the restrictions.

In Delhi, the police said they were ready to deal with any situation at the Singhu border.

Presently, the Singhu border witnesses check posts by the local police to ensure the enforcement of GRAP-4 measures and law and order.

FARMERS ASSURE PEACE, NO TRACTOR-TROLLEYS

Earlier on Thursday, Punjab DIG (Patiala Range) Mandeep Singh Sidhu and SSP (Patiala) Nanak Singh met Pandher and Surjit Singh Phul at the Shambhu border.

Sidhu said the farmers have assured the police that they will maintain peace and not involve tractor-trolleys in the march.

The farmer leaders had earlier announced that the first ‘jatha‘ of farmers would be led by Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh.

Meanwhile, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point on Thursday.

WHY ARE THE FARMERS PROTESTING?

The farmers gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha earlier announced a foot march to the national capital seeking a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops, among several other demands.

They have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.