Farmers Protest Updates: Haryana Cops Use Tear Gas, Water Cannons On Protestors

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh lashed out at the BJP-led government in Haryana for stopping farmers from moving towards Delhi, saying the use of "brute force" against them is “totally undemocratic and unconstitutional”.

Haryana has completely sealed its borders with Punjab to prevent farmers from entering the state for their 'Delhi Chalo' protest march against the Centre's farm laws.

“Why is @mlkhattar govt in Haryana stopping the farmers from moving to Delhi? The tyrannical use of brute force against peacefully protesting farmers is totally undemocratic & unconstitutional,” Singh said in a tweet.

He said farmers have been peacefully protesting in Punjab against the farm laws for two months.

“Why is Haryana govt provoking them by resorting to force? Don't the farmers have the right to pass peacefully through a public highway?", Singh asked.

Tension spiralled at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana as police used water cannons and teargas to disperse hundreds of farmers from Punjab who broke barricades, throwing some into the river.

As farmers and police faced off at a bridge with the Ghaggar river flowing below, tractors and trucks were lined up and people could be seen waving black flags and shouting slogans. Police made announcements on loudspeakers to ask the farmers assembled on the Punjab side of the border to disperse. As smoke from the teargas clouded the air and uniformed security personnel milled around, people could be seen standing on top of trucks. Television visuals also showed some bricks lying on the road.

Some farmers tried to cross the barricades and remove them and some chucked them into the Ghaggar river.

The Shambhu border point is about 200 km from Delhi.

It is absolutely wrong that farmers are being prevented from holding peaceful demonstrations against the Centre's new farm laws and water cannons are being used on them, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday.

Haryana put up road barricades along its border with Punjab on Wednesday as farmers in the adjoining state amassed with their tractor-trailers for their "Delhi Chalo" march to protest against the laws. Water cannons were used at least twice to disperse them and stop them from going to Delhi.

Taking to Twitter, the Delhi chief minister said peaceful demonstration was a constitutional right of the farmers.

"All the three farming bills of the central government are anti-farmer. Instead of withdrawing them, farmers are being prevented from holding peaceful demonstrations, water canons are being used on them. This is absolutely wrong. Peaceful demonstrations are their constitutional right," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Haryana completely sealed its borders with Punjab as farmers from the neighbouring state started assembling in large numbers as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march to protest the Centre's new farm laws.

There was heavy deployment of Haryana police on the borders with Punjab, officials told PTI.

The Haryana Police in adequate strength has also been deployed along the state's borders with Delhi, they said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana had said that it would seal its borders with Punjab on Nov. 26-27 in view of the farmers' march to Delhi.

Delhi metro services to neighbouring cities of the national capital will remain suspended till 2 p.m. on Thursday in view of a planned protest march by farmers against the Centre's new farm laws.

• The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said no metro services will be available from Anand Vihar to Vaishali and New Ashok Nagar to Noida City Centre during this period.

• The metro services will also be suspended between Sultanpur and Guru Dronacharya metro stations.

• However, regular metro services will remain available in the entire section of Airport and Rapid Metro lines during the period.

"After 2 p.m. on Thursday, train services will resume on all lines from end to end without loops regularly," it added.