Despite heavy security deployment, groups of farmers from Punjab managed to reach near two Delhi borders on Friday morning after breaking police barricades in Haryana as part of their protest march against the Centre’s farm laws.
The farmers are demanding the repeal of the new agri-reform laws, which they claim will lead to will the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system.
Farmers march to Delhi – November 26, 2020: As it happened
Here are the live updates:
New Delhi | 11.30 am
Entry, exit gates at 6 Delhi Metro stations on Green Line closed
The Delhi Metro announced the closure of exit and entry gates at six metro stations on the Green Line in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers.
“Entry & exit gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan and Ghevra stations on Green Line are now closed,” the DMRC tweeted.
The Delhi Metro authorities had earlier announced that services from neighbouring cities will remain suspended on Friday.
“As advised by Delhi Police, Metro services will be available only from Delhi towards the NCR sections. However, services from the NCR stations towards Delhi will not be available due to security reasons till further notice. However, metro services will be available from Delhi towards the NCR sections,” DMRC had said. – PTI
New Delhi | 11.25 am
We are trying to hold them back without resorting to much force: Police
The Delhi Police have buses, trucks and other large vehicles parked across the road on the border to prevent the agitating farmers from reaching the national Capital seeking roll back of the three controversial farm laws.
“We have also used water cannons and trying to hold them back without resorting to much force,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, West Delhi, Sudesh Ranga, present at the Tikri Border.
Intermittently the police made announcement from the public address system for the farmers to return. As an exigency plan, a large number of private buses were also parked along the road to arrest the agitating farmers and take them to jails. – Ashok Kumar
New Delhi | 11.00 am
Farmers from other States stopped at UP border
Groups of farmers from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka have been stopped at several points along the Uttar Pradesh border with Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, and are holding road blockade protests there. Other groups are facing police barricades within Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and there are reports of protests in Rohtak after one farmer died during a road accident allegedly caused by the barricades.
Several large convoys, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are nearing the Delhi border. About 3000 vehicles with thousands of farmers have crossed Sapla and are heading towards the Tikriwal border point, according to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an alliance of the various farmers groups participating in the protest. On Friday morning, the alliance wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for farmers to be given a free and safe passage into the capital and to be allotted a space like the Ramlila Maidan to gather and to hold talks with the government. – Priscilla Jebaraj
Delhi | 10.50 am
“I urge the Delhi Govt to deny permission for setting up temporary prisons. The farmer of our country is neither a criminal nor a terrorist. Right to protest peacefully is enshrined in Indian Constitution – Article 19(1) and protests are the hallmark of a free, democratic society,” AAP National Spokesperson Raghav Chadha said in a tweet. – Nikhil M. Babu
Delhi | 10.40 am
Stadiums as jails
Delhi Police has sought permission from Delhi government to use nine stadiums as temporary jails for farmers expected to be arrested during protests, confirmed a senior police officer. – Saurabh Trivedi
Delhi | 10.30 am
Delhi Police fire tear gas
The Delhi Police used tear gas shells to disperse a group of farmers who had reached the Singhu border as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
The shells were fired at the border point which connects Delhi with Haryana.
The police officer said, “We are using tear gas to disperse protesting farmers. We are also informing them that in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, any kind of rally and dharna is not allowed.”
“They have been denied permission and legal action will be taken against them if they still try to enter Delhi,” the officer further said.
Security has been strengthened at the border and sand-laden trucks and water cannons have been stationed. Barbed wire is also being used for fencing at the Singhu border to prevent the protesters from entering the city.
Delhi | 10.15 am
Groups of agitating farmers from Punjab reach near Delhi borders
Two groups of farmers from Punjab managed to reach near the Singhu and Tikri borders as Delhi Police fired tear gas shells at them to prevent them from entering the city.
“We will enter Delhi. We will get these anti-farmer laws repealed. We were welcomed at the national capital by tear gas shells lobbed by Delhi police,” said a farmer from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab who was among those who managed to reach near the Singhu border.
According to the group, they had taken night halts at various points and broke the police barriers in Panipat, Haryana, to reach near the Delhi border.
One more group of farmers had reached near Delhi’s Tikri border after entering Haryana from Rohtak district.
A farmer leader leading a group of protesters at Haryana’s border with Punjab in Dabwali, said they will break police barriers later in the day to march ahead.
Karnal | 10.00 am
Delhi Chalo march gets overwhelming response from women
Farmers’ Delhi Chalo protest on Thursday saw an overwhelming response from women as they joined elderly farmers and youth to press the Centre to scrap three farm laws.
Stating that they were ready for a “do or die” battle against the union government, women owing allegiance to various farmers’ outfits braved cold weather to set out for Delhi.
A number of them travelled on tractor trolleys carrying ration and other essentials to participate in the protest.
“We have brought with us enough stocks of ration, quilts, mattresses and other essentials. We are prepared for this ‘do or die’ battle and will rest only when the Modi government rolls back the farm laws,” a 68-year-old woman, who was travelling in a tractor with her family, said. – PTI
Jaipur | 9.30 am
NDA ally Beniwal says Centre should withdraw new farm laws
Hanuman Beniwal. File
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) convenor and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on Thursday said the Centre should listen to the farmers’ issues and withdraw the recently passed farm laws.
The RLP is an ally of the ruling NDA government at the Centre.
“The central government needs to take back the agricultural bills after hearing the issues of farmers coming to Delhi to protest against the agricultural bills,” Beniwal said in a tweet.
He further said, “Governments of nearby states including Haryana should not adopt any oppressive policy against farmers. If the police and governments adopted oppressive policy against farmers, the RLP will hold demonstrations across the country, including in Rajasthan, in favour of farmers.”
Uttar Pradesh | 9.00 am
BKU decides to join protest
Chaudhary Rakesh Tikait
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), conspicuous by its absence during the protests against farm laws on Thursday, has decided that it will hit the road at 11 a.m. on Friday in support of the country’s farmers.
In an emergency mahapanchayat held in Muzaffarnagar at the residence of senior leader Rakesh Tikait, it was decided that the BKU will lay indefinite siege to national highways in the region. The main protest is expected on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
“If the country’s farmers can’t be allowed to enter Delhi, the government could send them to Islamabad,” said Mr. Tikait. – Special Correspondent
Delhi | 8.30 am
70 detained for protesting against farm laws
Show of dissent: Farmers protesting against the farm laws at Majnu Ka Tila in New Delhi on Thursday. Sushil Kumar Verma
At least 70 protesters, including seven women, were detained from Jantar Mantar and Majnu Ka Tila when they were trying to stage a protest against the Centre’s farm laws, said a senior police officer on Thursday.
The officer said that the protesters were shifted to a temporary jail in Hari Nagar. They have not been released yet. – Saurabh Trivedi