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Farmers jump barricades, police use water cannon, lathicharge to disperse crowd at Delhi-Haryana border
27-November-2020

Farmers' Delhi Chalo March: The Delhi Police on Friday used tear gas shells to disperse a group of farmers who had reached the Singhu border as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march to protest against the Centre's new farm laws. The shells were fired at the border point at Narela which connects Delhi with Haryana. Punjab farmers, representing over 30 farm bodies, have announced they will enter Delhi through several routes -- Lalru, Shambhu, Patiala-Pehowa, Patran-Khanauri, Moonak-Tohana, Ratia-Fatehabad and Talwandi-Sirsa. Traffic has been diverted at several places along the national capital's border in view of the protest. Checking of vehicles has also been intensified at the Delhi-Gurgaon border leading to heavy traffic jams. CISF personnel have also been deployed on the Delhi-Gurgaon border. Five sand-laden trucks and three water cannons have been stationed at the Singhu border to stop tractors being driven by the protesters. Also, drones have been deployed to keep a tight vigil to maintain law and order.

In order to prevent farmers from entering Delhi, police deployment has also been made at NH-24, DND, Chilla Border, Tigri border, Bahadurgarh border, Faridabad border and Kalindi Kunj border. The Delhi Police has also sought permission from the AAP government to use the city's nine stadiums as temporary jails in view of the protest, government sources said.

To take stock of the situation, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava had on Thursday visited the bordering areas and said protesting farmers will not be allowed to enter the national capital. Metro commuters in the city faced inconvenience as 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.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates:
12:25 PM: Amarinder Singh urges Centre to immediately initiate talks

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the Centre to immediately initiate talks with Kisan Unions to defuse the tense situation at the Delhi borders.

12:10 PM: Traffic diverted at several places in Delhi

Traffic has been diverted at several places along the national capital's border in view of the protest. Checking of vehicles has also been intensified at the Delhi-Gurgaon border leading to heavy traffic jams. CISF personnel have also been deployed on the Delhi-Gurgaon border.

11:55 AM: Farmers jump barricades in Sirsa

Protesting farmers jump barricades in Sirsa, say they are going to Delhi for their rights.


Farmers protest: AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj reacts to police's demand

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj has reacted to the Delhi Police's demand to convert 9 stadiums into temporary prisons. "I think it's a most inhuman thing we can do to our farmers. Delhi Police should stop calling themselves," he tweeted.

The Delhi Police had on Thursday enhanced deployment of security personnel, stationed sand-laden trucks and water cannons and used barbed wire for fencing at the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) to prevent the protesters from entering the city.Police were also deployed on Delhi's border with Faridabad and Gurgaon.

Farmers lay siege on Haryana highway on way to Delhi
Earlier on Thursday, several protesters and policemen were injured as farmers broke barricades and threw them down from a bridge ahead of the Punjab-Haryana border in Shambhu in Punjab's Patiala and near Haryana's Ambala. Bracing overnight rains and chilly winds, thousands of protesting farmers assembled at various places along the Haryana-Punjab borders on Thursday morning to head towards the national capital for their 'Dilli Chalo' protest, but were stopped by the Haryana Police. Thousands of farmers had been staging sit-in protests ahead of the Dabwali barrier between Punjab's Bathinda and Haryana's Sirsa districts and at Khanauri border in Sangrur district, awaiting the decision by their leaders to move towards Delhi. While activists of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta-Ugrahan and Sidhupur factions had been camping on the border at Khanauri and Moonak, respectively, since Wednesday evening, other farmer unions changed their plans and decided to head for Delhi from other entry points, like Shambhu.

Centre invites farmers for talks
In another related development, the Centre has invited farmers for more talks on the new three farm laws. Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Defence minister Rajnath Singh appealed for calm and invited them for talks.

Tomar said that the government was ready to talk about issues and resolve differences. "I want to appeal to our farmer brothers to not agitate. I am sire that our dialogue will have a positive result," he told reporters.

Rajnath Singh also asks farmers not to protest. Singh said that he was the son of a farmer himself, and that the government couldn't betray farmers. "I appeal to them that end your protests, I invite them for discussions," he said.

Appealing to the agitating farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "Will leave politics if there's trouble on MSP (minimum support price)." He also blamed his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh for "inciting the farmers".

Reacting to his accusations, Amarinder Singh replied on Twitter: "Shocked at your response. It's the farmers who've to be convinced on MSP, not me. You should've tried to talk to them before their 'Dilli Chalo'. And if you think I'm inciting farmers then why are Haryana farmers also marching to Delhi?"

Rapid Action Force deployed
A huge contingent of police comprising the Rapid Action Force had been deployed at all entry points in Haryana, while residents of several towns located along the Punjab-Haryana border faced a harrowing time due to the heavy deployment of the security forces and snapping of the bus services in the past 24 hours.

Unfazed by the heavy security deployment and barricading on the highway with mounds of earth and huge rocks, protesting farmer Gurdev Singh told the media at the Shambhu border that "We will break all the barricades if we were not allowed to move ahead."

Farmers said they were ready to face bullets also. Despite the use of water cannons and tear gas, the protesting farmers, comprising men and women -- both young and old -- and school and college students riding tractor-trailers, cars and motorcycles, managed to enter Haryana from Shambhu.

Angry farmers threw stones at security forces deployed to control the crowd at the Shambhu border. They were later joined by thousands of their counterparts from Haryana. As they reached Kurukshetra district, the local farmers joined them.

As per the police estimates, around 300,000 farmers from both states are set to reach Delhi.

The farmers affiliated to 33 organisations are part of the United Farmers Front, an all-India body of over 470 farmers' unions that will participate in the indefinite protest in the national capital.

Sukhbir Badal condemns police action against farmers
Meanwhile, SD leader and former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has condemned the use of water cannon and tear gas against the agitating farmers.

"Today is Punjab's 26/11. We are witnessing the end of the right to democratic protest. The Akali Dal condemns the Haryana government the Centre for choosing to repress the peaceful farmer movement," he said, adding that the battle for the rights of Punjab farmers cannot be throttled by using water cannons against them.

Police step up vigil at Delhi borders
The Delhi Police has already asked the farmers not to enter Delhi as they don't have permission to protest in the city.

Farmers protesting against the farm laws have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporate entities.

Punjab: Protesting farmers jump barricades in Sirsa, say they're going to Delhi for their rights.

"Whatever we do will be peaceful. We won't harm any person or property. Even if we have to stay for a month, we will. Even if we have attain martyrdom, we will," says a farmer. pic.twitter.com/rGHBzFWHpY

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2020

Heavy security deployment, tear gas used as farmers headed for Delhi protest at Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border). https://t.co/PovJdCgsRE pic.twitter.com/fwKYd6rMRn

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2020

#WATCH Delhi: Police use water cannon & tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers at Tikri border near Delhi-Bahadurgarh highway.

Farmers are seen clashing with security forces, as they tried to head towards Delhi as part of their protest march against Centre's Farm laws. pic.twitter.com/L67PN4xYKy

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2020

Punjab: Members of Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee prepare in Amritsar for their tractor rally towards Delhi by stocking up essentials in trolleys.

"We have loaded food material for a month & cooking utensils in our trolleys. We're all headed towards Delhi now," says a farmer. pic.twitter.com/INJX58AoJB

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2020