Delhi Police girds up to stop kisan from entering Capital

| | NEW DELHI
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Delhi Police girds up to stop kisan from entering Capital

Friday, 27 November 2020 | SHEKHAR SINGH | NEW DELHI

Delhi Police girds up to stop kisan from entering Capital

Sand-laden trucks, barbed wires, boulder barricades ready to stop marching farmers

Ready to maintain law and order situation in view of the “Delhi Chalo” protest march by farmers against the Centre’s new farm laws, the Delhi Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers in the border areas of the national Capital.

Around five sand-laden trucks were stationed at Singhu border and police were seen putting barbed wires and boulder barricades to stop farmers’ trolleys heading towards Delhi.

This is the first time that the city police has stationed trucks filled with sand at border points. Police said the border has not been sealed but they are checking all vehicles entering the national Capital.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had rejected requests from various farmers’ organisations to protest in the national Capital against the Centre’s new farm laws on November 26 and 27. The police had on Tuesday said legal action would be taken against the protesting farmers if they come to the city for any gathering amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The farmers are scheduled to reach Delhi on Thursday through five highways connecting the city as part of their “Delhi Chalo” march call.

Delhi Police chief SN Shrivastava visited at Tikri and Singhu border to take stock of the situation.

“Regarding farmer organisations march to Delhi on November 26, 27. All the requests received from various Farmer Organisations regarding protest in Delhi on 26 and 27 November have been rejected and this has already been communicated to the organisers,” the New Delhi DCP had tweeted.

“Please co-operate with Delhi Police in ensuring no gathering in Delhi amid coronavirus, failing which legal action will be initiated as per law,” it had said.

Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal had said, “Various farmer organisations have requested for permission for protest in Delhi on November 26 and 27. We have conveyed to them in writing and through various media also that the protest is not permitted in view of the latest DDMA guidelines.”

“When the condition is good, they can seek due permission and exercise their right to protest in Delhi. For now, they are requested to cooperate with Delhi Police and not indulge in any kind of protest. If despite our appeal they turn up to Delhi, the required legal action will be taken against them,” Singhal had said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Jasmeet Singh had said, “The main focus of our will be on Ghazipur border, Chilla border and DND. Heavy deployment of police personnel is already there and the checking will take place round the clock. The paramilitary force is also placed.

Police will also check the other small borders of the district.”

Police said all border pickets have been made active.

“We have deployed heavy force at the bordering areas of the district. Eight companies of paramilitary will be assisting police at the borders,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena had said.

The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh and various factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union have joined hands and formed a ‘’Samyukta Kisan Morcha’’ to press the Central Government to scrap the three farm laws.

 A seven-member committee has also been formed to coordinate the operations of the Morcha.

Farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates. They have been demanding that the laws be repealed.

“Jantar Mantar at central Delhi has been blocked with the barricades. There is traffic at the borders as police teams are checking vehicles. However, the borders are not being sealed,” said a senior police official.

Police have also deployed drones for security purposes. On Thursday morning, cemented barricades and cranes were seen at Delhi’s Badarpur border to halt the farmers’ protest march.

Along with Delhi Police personnel, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans have also been deployed at the Badarpur border.

Earlier in the day, there were some demonstrations at Delhi’s border with Ghaziabad in UP, and traffic jams at the Gurugram border.

Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said peaceful demonstration was a constitutional right of the farmers.

“All the three farming bills of the central government are anti-farmer. Instead of withdrawing them, farmers are being prevented from holding peaceful demonstrations, water canons are being used on them. This is absolutely wrong. Peaceful demonstrations are their constitutional right,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Punjab farmers, representing over 30 farm bodies, have announced they will go to Delhi through several routes -- Lalru, Shambhu, Patiala-Pehowa, Patran-Khanauri, Moonak-Tohana, Ratia-Fatehabad and Talwandi-Sirsa. Tension was escalating at all the border points.

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