Punjab farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha camping at the Shambhu border began their march to Delhi on Friday at 1 pm but ♌they had to suspend it soon. Th🍸e police forces fired teargas at the protesting farmers and injured several and some of whom even had to be hospitalised.
The farmers holding farmers' unions flags pushed the iron mesh, put up by 𒉰the security personnel, down the bridge constructed over the Ghaggar river when the march began. Multiple rounds of teargas shells were fired at the protesting farmers by Haryana security personnel to disperse them.
The💦 Haryana deputy commissioner had directed that no procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes will be allowed till further orders.
The Delhi Police had tightened the security at borde🔯rs t🍷o prevent any untoward situation.
Today's march was led by a 'jatha' of 101 farmers and farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher called those farmers 'marjeevras' which means someone willi♕ng to die for a cause.
Pandher had said the march would be carried out in a "peaceful manner🐽" and slammed the Haryana administration's prohibiting the foot march.
The farmers are mainly demanding a legal guarantee to minimum su🔥pport price for crops amid other things and had earlier att💦empted to march into the national capital on February 13 and February 21, but they were stopped by security forces at Shambhu and Khanauri on Punjab-Haryana borders.
The district administration of Ambala in Haryana asked the farmers to reconsider their proposed march to Delhi and told them to contemplate further action only after getting permission from Delhi Police and ahead of today's march they imposed section 163 of Bharat🅺iya๊ Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Central paramilitary forces have been deployed on th♌e Haryana side of the bor⛦der.
Agricultural Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday stated, "All farm prod🍌uce will be purchased at minimum support price๊, this is Modi govt's guarantee," in Rajya Sabha.
He gave th✅e assurance while answering supplementari🎃es during Question Hour on the issue of MSP to farmers.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said everyone h𒐪as the right to come and go anywhere or express their views pea🉐cefully in a democracy, but the BJP government wants to snatch this right from the farmers.
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang said, "Farmers are protesting peacefully since last two years seeking justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, for MSP leg🤪al guarantee and other issues for which PM gave them commitment.♔ I think it’s undemocratic to stop them from protesting in country’s national capital."
Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Sanj﷽ay Raut told PTI, "Centre doesn't want farmers' voice to bꦗe heard, stopping march to Delhi in BJP-ruled states."
Ambala Imposed Section 163 of BNSS, Haryana Govt Suspends Internet
The Ambala administrati🎀on imposed Section 163 of the BNSS ⛎restricting the assembly of five or more persons in the district and has issued notices at the protest site near the Shambhu border.
Meanwhile, Ambala authorities ordered the closure of all governm🎃ent and private schools in the district.
"The government and private schools will remain closed on Friday," District Ed꧙ucation Officer Ambala Suresh Kumar said.
A multilayered barricading 🌱is already in place at the Shambhu border point — Rajpura (Punjab)-Ambala (Haryana) – 🍌on National Highway-44.
Water ca😼nnons were also been deployed at ⛦the Shambhu border.
The Haryana government on Friday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS꧅ service in 11 villages of Ambala district till December 9. The suspension was made over apprehensions of "tension, annoyance, agitation and disturbance of public peace" as a group of farmers prepares to march to Delhi.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Monday had said that a delegation of farmers met Ambala's superintendent of police and informed him about their foot mar♔ch to Delhi on December 6.
Panไdher said the delegation had assured the police that the march would be peaceful and traffic along the route would not be bloc🍸ked.
Delhi Traffic May Be Hit
A senior Delhi Police officer told PTI that "Delhi Police is on alert and security has been tighte✃ned at the border points ꧑of the city."
He added, " A skeletal deployment has been made at the Singhu Border but it may increase as per the situation a🦋t the Shambu border on the Punjab-Haryana borde⛄r."
The national capital's traffic is likely to be hit due to the 𒆙security arrangements at the border and the central part of Delhi.
The officer also mentioned that the police are also keeping an eye on developments on the Noida border, where another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh observes a sit-in.
What Do Farmers Demand?
T♈he protesting farmers are seeking a legal guarꦐantee to minimum support price for crops.
Besides the MSP,𒁏 the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, and no hike in electricity tariff.
They are also demanding "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who diedꦦ ꦓduring a previous agitation in 2020-21.
