While security forces and arrangements get deployed at the borders of Delhi and Haryana, farmers are reportedly ready with 'modified tractors' to remove the barricades and boulders placed by the police on highways
Elaborate security arrangements have been set up across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab for the proposed mega protest march today to the national capital by farmers with their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Around 25,000 farmers, many of whom had already set off for Delhi, are expected to take part in the protest march to press their demands.
As Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders) are being heavily secured, Police issued a traffic advisory, alerting commuters about restrictions on movement of vehicles at three borders of the national capital. Finall call on the protest march, however, will be taken by farmers after the outcome of talks with the government on Monday.
Haryana also sealed state's border with Punjab by putting up concrete blocks, road spike barriers and a huge contingent of police, besides imposing Section 144 of the CrPC for the February 13 'Dilli Chalo' march by farmers. Apart from Haryana, Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi as well.
While security forces and arrangements get deployed at the borders of Delhi and Haryana, farmers are also reportedly ready with 'modified tractors' to remove the barricades and boulders placed by the police on highways. These tractors have been fitted with hydraulic tools and doubled horsepower. Know more details below.
Several farmer associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have called for the march on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021.
Besides a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), the farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Farmer leaders said they would start marching towards Delhi from 10 am on Tuesday after after the talks with the government Monday over their demands remained inconclusive. Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda along with Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State Nityanand Rai held hold a second round of talks with the protesting farmers in Chandigarh Monday.
Delhi Police, meanwhile, has imposed traffic restrictions. While the curbs are in effect for commercial vehicles at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border from Monday, other restrictions will mostly be in place on February 13. The restrictions are as follows:
-Traffic from Delhi going to Ghaziabad through Gazipur border may take Pushta Road in front of Akshardham temple OR, Patparganj Road/Mother Dairy road OR, Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg ISBT Anand Vihar and exit from Maharajpur or Apsara border in UP Ghaziabad.
-Motorists coming from Punjabi Bagh to turn left from Peeragarhi Chowk up to Najafgarh Road (8 KM) - turn right Uttam Nagar Chowk-Dwarka Mor-Tura Mandi-Najafgarh Firni Road turn left-Chhawla Stand-turn right Dhansa Stand-turn right Bahadurgarh Stand - turn left Najafgarh Bahadurgarh Road-Jharoda Village-Jharoda Border reaching towards Bahadurgarh (HR).
Full traffic advisory here:
-At Singhu border, traffic curbs and diversions will be imposed from Monday for commercial vehicles and from Tuesday for all type of vehicles.
-Interstate buses going towards Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal etc. via NH-44 will take ISBT to Majnu Ka Tilla to Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk to Loni Border to KMP via Khekra. Click Here For Full Delhi Traffic Police Advisory
The Haryana authorities sealed the state's border with Punjab at many places in Ambala, Jind and Fatehabad districts with concrete blocks, road spike barriers and barbed wires to thwart the proposed march to Delhi by farmers on February 13.
The Haryana government also imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits assembly of five or more people, in 15 districts, banning any kind of demonstration or march in tractor-trolleys.
The Chandigarh administration also imposed Section 144 in the city for a period of 60 days in the view of the proposed march.
The Haryana government's massive arrangements drew a sharp reaction from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who asked the Manohar Lal Khattar government not to "create a border between India and Punjab". CM Mann also said the Khattar government has placed as much barbed wires at the state's borders with Punjab as is there at the country's border with Pakistan.
The Haryana government has already suspended mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts -- Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa -- from February 11 to 13.
Farmers have reportedly "modified" tractors to remove the barricades and boulders placed by the police on highways for their Delhi Chalo' march scheduled on February 13.
Central intelligence agencies have alerted authorities in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana over a suspected mass movement of farmers, which will include over 5,000 tractors. "Tractors have been fitted with hydraulic tools to remove barricades, fire-resistant hard-shell trailers being readied to fight tear gas shells. They have also performed drills with these modified vehicles," news agency ANI quoted a Central intelligence agency official as saying.
The official also said that the horsepower of these machines has been doubled to ferry maximum numbers of protesting farmers to the site.