Online Desk: Group of 101 farmers will resume their foot march to Delhi from their protest site at the Shambhu border today to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, after walking for a few metres, they were stopped at the barricading by Haryana Police, The New Indian Express reported. Haryana Police asked the farmers to show them the requisite permission to take out the foot march.
They also fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers as they near multi-layer barricades. Their earlier attempt on Friday was also halted when security personnel fired tear gas at the border, leaving several protesters injured.
The farmers had been trying to move toward the national capital but temporarily suspended their efforts following the confrontation. Security has been tightened at Delhi’s Singhu border on Sunday ahead of a protest march.
“Delhi Police is on alert and security has been tightened at the Singhu border. A skeletal deployment has been made at the Singhu border but it may increase as per the situation at the Shambu border,” a senior police officer told PTI.
The Haryana government has also imposed prohibitory orders and suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 11 villages in Ambala district, with the restrictions set to remain in place until next week. Concertina wire barricades are placed on a bridge at the protest site at Shambhu Border before the start of farmers march towards Delhi, PTI.
The announcement to start the march towards the national capital came after two attempts by farmer groups under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) to reach Delhi in February were stopped by security forces. The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP.
Besides MSP, the farmers are demanding a farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and “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 are also among their demands.
