Farmers at Delhi-Ambala highway. Ahead of the “Delhi chalo” protest march by farmers against the Centre’s contentious farm laws , Delhi Metro services from neighbouring cities to the national capital will remain suspended on Friday, DMRC announced. However, metro services will be available from Delhi towards the NCR sections.
Thousands of Punjab farmers protesting against the contentious farm laws as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march have entered Haryana. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the farmers who broke barricades, throwing some into the river at the state’s border with Haryana. Two government and a private vehicle was also vandalized on the Jind-Patiala highway.
Farmers are marching towards the national capital in tractors. The Delhi Police has strengthened its presence in border areas of the national capital in view of the protest march. At the Singhu border, the Police stationed trucks filled with sand to stop movement of tractors driven by farmers.
A while back, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday slammed the Haryana government for trying to thwart farmers ‘ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, terming the attempt as “Punjab’s 26/11”. “Today is Punjab’s 26/11. We are witnessing the end of the right to democratic protest. @Akali_Dal condemns the Haryana govt & Centre for choosing to repress the peaceful farmer movement,” said Badal in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh entered into a war of words on twitter over the farmers protest. While Singh slammed Khattar for stopping farmers from moving towards the national capital, terming it as “totally undemocratic and unconstitutional”, the latter told the Punjab chief minister to stop “inciting innocent farmers”.
Members of Farmers' Union outside Punjab Bhawan on Saturday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)
Farmers' Delhi Chalo protest on Thursday saw an overwhelming response from women as they joined elderly farmers and youth to press the Centre to scrap three farm laws.
Stating that they were ready for a "do or die" battle against the union government, women owing allegiance to various farmers' outfits braved cold weather to set out for Delhi. A number of them travelled on tractor trolleys carrying ration and other essentials to participate in the protest. "We have brought with us enough stocks of ration, quilts, mattresses and other essentials.
We are prepared for this 'do or die' battle and will rest only when the Modi government rolls back the farm laws," a 68-year-old woman, who was travelling in a tractor with her family, said. Near the Bathinda-Dabwali border, women under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugarhan) participated in a sit-in and shouted slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre
In a late-night decision, farmers under the banner of BKU (Ugrahan) have decided to stay put at the borders instead of entering Delhi.
The body had earlier decided to enter the capital on Friday noon.
Air India has said passengers affected due to traffic disruption on Thursday amid closure of the borders of the national capital region (NCR) will be allowed to reschedule their flights for free. People coming to the national capital from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh faced traffic snarls at several border crossings as the Delhi Police intensified vehicle checking in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers from Punjab against the Centre's farm laws.
Delhi Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers in border areas of the national capital and all incoming vehicles are being checked in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by Punjab farmers against the Centre's farm laws. Security was also beefed up at India gate and nearby areas.
Over 70 people were detained on Thursday when they were staging a protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi in support of Punjab farmers, who are agitating against the Centre's farm laws. The protesters included members from Left-backed trade unions, the Students' Federation of India. Students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University also participated in the protest.
The Left parties on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led Haryana government for using water cannons and tear gas on farmers moving towards the national capital against the Centre's farm laws, saying it revealed the "anti-farmer face" of the saffron party. "This is an attack on the farmers by the BJP government. The CPI has always stood in support of the farmers and the violence against them is highly condemnable. This shows the true anti-farmer face of the BJP," said CPI general secretary D Raja.
All India Kisan Sabha's Moga unit crossed Kaithal in Haryana.
In view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march call being carried out by the farmers' organizations, Haryana Police today advised citizens to avoid travelling at entry points from Haryana to Delhi on National Highway No 10 (Hisar-Rohtak-Delhi) and National Highway 44 (Ambala-Panipat-Delhi) as they may face inconvenience and trouble on these routes.
Giving this information here today, the Director General of Police (DGP) Haryana, Sh Manoj Yadava said:" Our field units today tried to prevent farmers coming from Punjab from entering Haryana in a restrained manner at the district border points. The police also tried to convince them by establishing barricades. But the agitating farmers not only damaged the police barricades, but proceeded by removing all the blockades and obstructions in an unlawful manner. Acting with restraint, police did not use force on the agitating farmers. On the contrary, the farmers took an aggressive stand and tried to disturb the law and order by pelting stones at the police in many places. In this entire episode, not only a number of police personnel were injured but police and private vehicles were also damaged."
Normal life came to a complete halt in Left-ruled Kerala while it was partially affected in West Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu and Odisha due to the 24-hour nationwide strike called by various trade unions in protest against the Centre's economic policies and contentious farm laws. While intermittent clashes between Left activists and police were reported in several parts of Bengal, other states saw road blockades, leading to disruption of vehicular movement.
The bandh, called by 10 central trade unions, except the BJP-aligned Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, was near total in Kerala, with government offices, business establishments and banks remaining shut. The streets were also deserted as private buses, auto rickshaws and taxis did not ply.
Delhi Metro services from neighbouring cities to the national capital will remain suspended on Friday in view of the ''Delhi chalo'' protest march by farmers against the Centre's new farm laws, officials said. However, metro services will be available from Delhi towards the NCR sections, they said.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s tweets stating that the Haryana government was “provoking” the farmers and violating their rights by not allowing them to go to Delhi elicited a sharp response from his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar, who said it was Amarinder who was “inciting” the farmers and that he should stop playing “cheap politics in the time of pandemic”.
The central government is treating farmers as "enemy of the State", SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal alleged on Thursday, condemning the use of force to stop them from marching towards Delhi in protest against the Centre's farm laws. Badal had resigned from the Union Cabinet in September in protest against three farm sector bills, which later got the President's assent after being passed by Parliament. She was the Union minister for food processing industries. The Centre should not adopt a policy of confrontation with farmers. It should instead talk with them and resolve their grievances, Badal told PTI. "Using force against farmers on Constitution Day has turned the day a 'black day' for 'annadattas' of the country," the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader said.
Farmers from Punjab break police barriers to enter Haryana.
Thousands of Farmers from Punjab have finally entered Haryana after facing water cannons and. Many vehicles were vandalised on the Jind- Patiala highway. Stone pelting was also reported.
The Delhi Police ismonitoring traffic movement on the Delhi-Gurgaon Border as protesters from Punjab head to Delhi. Express Photograph by Tashi Tobgyal.
Shortly after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led Haryana government for stopping farmers en route to Delhi, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar sternly told him to stop 'inciting innocent farmers'.
In response, the Punjab CM said that he was ashamed of Khattar's response. 'It's the farmers who've to be convinced on MSP, not me. You should've tried to talk to them before their Dilli Chalo. And if you think I’m inciting farmers then why are Haryana farmers also marching to Delhi,' said Singh
Farmers at Delhi-Ambala highway. More farmers are joining the protest rallies from nearby areas in their tractor trolleys.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal condemned the Haryana government and Centre for choosing to repress the peaceful farmer movement. He said, " Today is Punjab’s 26/11. We are witnessing the end of the right to democratic protest."
Women have gathered on the NH-54.. Bathinda- Dabwali road to protest against the