Ahead of a proposed 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmer unions on Tuesday, authorities in Haryana and Delhi fortified borders with neighbouring states by putting up concrete blocks, road spike barriers and barbed wires to prevent the entry of vehicles and deploying thousands of police personnel, besides imposing prohibitory orders.
While the Centre has invited farmer unions for another meeting to discuss their demands on February 12, the move to block borders and stop protesters from entering the national capital drew flak from opposition parties and farmer groups on Sunday.
Authorities, however, justified the imposition of restrictions "to maintain law and order" and cited the 2020-21 agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws that had stretched to over a year.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and several farmer associations, mostly from UP, Haryana and Punjab, have called the protest march to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The Congress attacked the central government with Rahul Gandhi urging people to uproot those from Delhi "who put nails in the path of farmers".
Party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared a video of spike barriers on a road and said, "Is laying nails-thorns in the path of farmers 'amritkaal' or 'anyaykaal’?" Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann likened the roads to Delhi and Haryana to the India-Pakistan border.
"I urge the Centre to hold talks with farmers and accept their genuine demands… There are as many wires put up on the roads (Punjab-Haryana borders) to go to Delhi as there are at the border with Pakistan," said Mann.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) also slammed the blocking of roads.
"Why is the government scared? Huge barricading is being done. Is this democracy?" its leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said.
"If the situation turns bad, it will be the responsibility of the Khattar government," he said in a video message.
The Haryana government has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting assembly of five or more in 15 districts, and banning any kind of demonstration or march through tractor-trolley.
Internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts – Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa – have been suspended till February 13.
Barricades were also put up and checking was intensified by Delhi Police at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders, the sites of the 2020-21 farmers' sit-in.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 were also imposed in the northeast district of the national capital on Sunday, directing the police to make all efforts to prevent protestors from entering Delhi.
"No one will be allowed to breach law and order situation," an order issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said.
Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora visited different border areas along Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to check security arrangements.
Cranes and earthmovers were used to carry large containers to block roads.
Several teams have been formed to keep a strict vigil on bus stands, metro stations, railway stations and roads to ensure that protesters do not enter the city using any other mode of conveyance, an official said.
Haryana authorities have sealed the border with Punjab at Shambhu near Ambala. Elaborate arrangements are in place at the borders of Jind and Fatehabad districts to stop the march.
Iron sheets have been installed along the two sides of the road on the Ghaggar flyover to prevent protesters from throwing police barricades off it.
Water cannons and anti-riot Vajra vehicles were stationed and the Ghaggar river bed has been dug up to prevent the movement of vehicles. Pedestrians were seen crossing the shallow stream on foot.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said all steps are being taken to maintain law and order.
"The kind of agitations they hold are not right in democracy and we have seen this last time. There are buses and trains but taking tractors, also tying some weapons on the front side of tractors and not stopping when asked (cannot be allowed)," he said.
In 2020, a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala gathered at the Shambhu border and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi.
The farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, held a year-long sit-in on Delhi's border points – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur – against the three central farm laws.
Dallewal said the government had "promised" a legal guarantee on minimum support price during the stir and the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers.
"Farmers were forced to move towards Delhi as their demands were not accepted by the Centre," he said.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher had on Saturday said the Centre has invited them for a meeting to discuss their demands on February 12.
He said three Union ministers – Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai – will arrive in Chandigarh on February 12 to hold talks with a delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
Bracing for the protest, Delhi police has deployed more than 5,000 personnel along the border with Haryana and UP.
"Keeping in view the kind of behaviour and adamant approach farmers showed during protests in the past, there is a possibility of mobilisation/ activities of farmers/supporters from their respective districts to Delhi along with tractor/trolleys/arms," the order by DCP Tirkey said.
The order prohibits any gathering at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of Northeast District and also the entry of tractors, trolleys or other vehicles carrying protestors in Delhi from Uttar Pradesh.
"We are in contact with our counterparts in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh… We have already installed barricades at different borders of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Police personnel will be in anti-riot gear," said a senior Delhi Police officer.
The police also made elaborate arrangements at Haryana's borders with Punjab in Jind and Fatehabad districts to stop the march.
In Fatehabad, concrete blocks and spike barriers were put on a road in the Jakhal area. At the Tohana border, authorities placed sand-laden containers and concrete barricades, and cemented nails on the road.
In Jind, two roads near the Haryana-Punjab border were shut for vehicular movement and restrictions imposed on two more roads, a police official said.
Police have also been holding meetings with sarpanch of villages and khap panchayats, asking them not to participate in the march.
First Published: Feb 11, 2024 9:35 PM IST
