As protesting farmers plan to march towards Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, Delhi Police has beefed up security at its three borders - Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu - and even tightened vigil at metro stations and bus stands.
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, started their 'Delhi Chalo' protest march on February 13 in a bid to enter national capital to keep their demands before the Centre. They were stopped by the security forces, which led to clashes at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points on Haryana-Punjab border.
As protesting farmers plan to march towards Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, Delhi Police has beefed up security at its three borders - Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu - and even tightened vigil at metro stations and bus stands.
Farmer leaders on March 3 gave a call to the protesters to reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest and also gave a four-hour 'rail roko' countrywide call for March 10 in support of their various demands.
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, started their 'Delhi Chalo' protest march on February 13 in a bid to enter national capital to keep their demands before the Centre. They were stopped by the security forces, which led to clashes at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points on Haryana-Punjab border.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers to press the government to accept their demands, which includes that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.
While police said no barricading will be put on Delhi roads, traffic movement was hit at key junctions due to the arrangements and checking of vehicles. In the morning, a huge jam was witnessed at Delhi-Haryana's Singhu border as farmers started gathering there, a PTI report said.
Police officers said that there will be no barricading on city roads, however, a real-time watch on vehicular movement at different roads will be kept for farmers 'Delhi Chalo' protest march. "We have stepped up security at all three borders. However, we are not shutting any border or route but vehicle checking will take place," news agency PTI quoted an officer as saying.
The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and the Ghazipur borders, and railway and metro stations and bus stands after protesting farmers announced that they would reach Delhi for their protest on Wednesday.
"We had temporally removed barriers for commuters at the Singhu and the Tikri borders. The deployment of police and paramilitary personnel is still there and (they) will ensure strict, round-the-clock vigil," a senior police officer said.
The officer further said that additional police and paramilitary forces have already been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.
Farmer leader Tejveer Singh said that on Wednesday, protesting farmers from all over India will peacefully march towards the Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
"Tomorrow, on March 6, farmers from all over India will march peacefully towards Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Farmers from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have made all preparations to move to Delhi for the march...," he said.
Apart from MSP, farmers are advocating for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and laborers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, 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.