Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the tillers will consider any invitation for talks from the Union government over their demands.
Protesting farmers holding a bullet claiming that Haryana police fired bullets at them. (Screengrab)
Security remained tight in the national capital on Wednesday, 14 February, in view of the farmers’ “Dilli Chalo” march, with personnel deployed in huge numbers and barricades regulating movement in central Delhi and at border points with Haryana.
The traffic movement at Singhu (Delhi-Sonipat) and Tikri borders (Delhi-Bahadurgarh) is suspended, an official said, adding that security personnel in anti-riot gear are deployed and drones are being used to keep an eye on the situation.
Multiple layers of barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and container walls have been placed at the Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana as well as at the Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.
An official said the security arrangements at border points and in central Delhi could be increased if required.
With massive security arrangements at the three border points, commuters may again face difficulties in reaching their destination.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the “Delhi Chalo” agitation to put pressure on the BJP-led Union government for their demands, including a law on a minimum support price for crops and loan waivers.
Security personnel fired some tear gas shells on farmers Wednesday morning at the Shambhu border near Ambala as the peasants gathered there to resume their protest, the agitators claimed.
The protesting farmers from Punjab plan to make a fresh attempt to break past the multiple layers of barricades at the border with Haryana in an attempt to march to Delhi to press for various demands.
The Haryana security personnel lobbed a few tear gas shells at around 8 am on Wednesday when some farmers gathered near the barricades at the Shambhu border, the protesters claimed.
On Tuesday, farmers had clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break the barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital.
After a face-off with police that lasted several hours on Tuesday, farmer leaders called off the protest for the day. They said they would resume the march from Shambhu on Wednesday.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Wednesday said the tillers will consider any invitation for talks from the Union government over their demands but it should ensure a positive atmosphere for dialogue.
He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enact a law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP).
“It is said that you (Modi) have a big heart. Give us a law to guarantee the MSP,” Pandher said.
When asked whether farmers have received any invitation for holding talks, he said it was being said that the Centre was inviting farmers for a dialogue.
“And we will consider that invitation,” he told reporters at the Shambhu border near Ambala.
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda had told PTI on Tuesday that a law guaranteeing MSP cannot be brought in a hurry without consulting all stakeholders. He urged farmer groups to have a structured discussion with the government on the issue.
Meanwhile, authorities in Punjab have raised an objection over the use of a drone by Haryana to air-drop tear gas shells on agitating farmers in their territory at the Shambhu border, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Punjab’s Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Showkat Ahmed Parray has written to the Ambala Deputy Commissioner, asking him not to send their drone inside Punjab’s territory at the Shambhu border near Ambala.
Haryana security personnel deployed a drone on Tuesday to drop tear gas shells to disperse farmers who were trying to break barricades in an attempt to march towards Delhi.
Farmers claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle dropped several tear gas canisters on them when they were standing well inside Punjab territory.
“I wrote the letter to the Ambala DC not to send the drone inside our area,” Parray told PTI on Wednesday.
He said he conveyed this to the Ambala Senior Superintendent of Police as well.
Parray said after he took up the matter with the Ambala authorities, they have now restricted the movement of the drone along the border.
The use of the drone for dropping tear gas shells was said to be a first of its kind action against protesters.
At the Shambhu border, Haryana security personnel fired multiple rounds of tear gas canisters on farmers when they attempted to break barricades on Tuesday.
Farmers, with the help of tractors, managed to remove some of the cemented barricades and iron nails which were part of the elaborate arrangements made by the Haryana authorities to prevent protesters from heading to Delhi.
The Haryana Police said tear gas was used to control the situation when stones were pelted at the police personnel.
On Tuesday, farmers from Punjab faced tear gas shells — some dropped by a drone — at two border points of Haryana-Punjab as protesters tried to break past barricades that were installed to stop them from heading to Delhi.
Farmer leaders said police also fired rubber bullets, and claimed over 60 protesters were hurt in the attack on them at Shambhu border.
The Punjab government has sounded an alert in hospitals located near the Haryana border in the wake of many farmers getting injured following clashes with police at Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
The state government has stepped up the number of ambulances along the Haryana border, besides asking doctors and other staff to remain on duty, sources said.
The government has issued an alert to hospitals located in Sangrur, Patiala, Dera Bassi, Mansa and Bathinda, they said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Balbir Singh will meet injured farmers who were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Rajpura on Wednesday, sources said. As many as 26 farmers were under treatment at the Rajpura hospital.
The Delhi Police has issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for a month — banning an assembly of five or more people, processions or rallies and the entry of tractor-trolleys ferrying people.
During their protest in 2020, farmers from different states, mainly Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, staged a sit-in at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders. They sat there from August 2020 to December 2021.
Police had to rush logistics in 2020 to check the entry of the farmers moving in a procession of tractors.
Farmer leaders on Tuesday blamed the Union government for the “attack” on protesters marching towards Delhi and claimed that 60 of them were injured as police used tear gas shells at Punjab-Haryana border points.
The Haryana government on Tuesday extended the suspension of mobile internet services, bulk SMS and dongle services in seven districts- Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa till 15 February.
The Punjab government has sounded an alert in hospitals located near the border with Haryana in the wake of many farmers getting injured following clashes with police at Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
(With PTI inputs)
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