Farmers will march to Delhi from the Shambhu border today, demanding a legal guarantee for MSP and other reforms. Prohibitory orders and heavy security has been put in place.
More than a hundred farmers are set to embark on a foot march to Delhi on Friday from the Shambhu border protest site, which may lead to massive traffic jams across many areas of the national capital.
The ‘Dilli Chalo’ march is expected to begin at nearly 1 pm and comes despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Ambala, restricting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district.
The deputy commissioner has also restricted any procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes until further orders.
All schools in Ambala, both government and private, have also been closed today following official orders due to the farmers’ movement.
Earlier on Thursday, Punjab DIG (Patiala Range) Mandeep Singh Sidhu and SSP (Patiala) Nanak Singh met Pandher and Surjit Singh Phul at the Shambhu border.
Sidhu said the farmers have assured the police that they will maintain peace and not involve tractor-trolleys in the march.
The farmer leaders had earlier announced that the first ‘jatha‘ of farmers would be led by Satnam Singh Pannu, Surinder Singh Chautala, Surjit Singh Phul, and Baljinder Singh.
Meanwhile, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continued his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point on Thursday.
FARMERS’ ‘DILLI CHALO’ MARCH TODAY: HEAVY SECURITY
Even as the Ambala district administration on Wednesday asked the farmers to reconsider their march and contemplate any action only after obtaining permission from Delhi Police, the police sounded an alert and sent senior officers to the border to assess the security situation there.
Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed on the Haryana side of the border along with multi-layer barricading.
Meanwhile, police and other public servants on duty would be exempted from the restrictions.
In Delhi, the police said they were ready to deal with any situation at the Singhu border.
Police officials, however, said as of now there is no extra deployment of security personnel at the Singhu border.
“We have planned a significant deployment at the Singhu border on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway ahead of farmers’ march towards the national capital. We are analysing the situation and if we get any intelligence input or information about the movement of farmers, the decision will be taken accordingly,” a senior police officer told news agency PTI.
“As of now no extra deployment at the Singhu Border has been made, but we are ready to tackle any situation,” the officer said.
Presently, the Singhu border witnesses check posts by the local police to ensure the enforcement of GRAP-4 measures and law and order, another officer said.
FARMERS’ PROTEST
The farmers gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha earlier announced a foot march to the national capital seeking a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops, among several other demands.
They have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Besides MSP, the farmers are also demanding 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 part of their demands.
