Forces deployed, highways shut, flag marches done in Haryana ahead of ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest
Top officials posted at the chief minister’s office (CMO), police, and home department held back-to-back meetings in Chandigarh on Monday to fine tune the police response while handling any untoward situation.
Thousands of paramilitary and police personnel in riot gear stood guard behind multiple layers of metal and jersey barriers, concertina wire, spikes, and sandbags as Haryana sought to seal its border with Punjab in a bid to halt the proposed “Dilli Chalo” march by certain farmer groups scheduled for Tuesday.
Top officials posted at the Haryana chief minister’s office (CMO), police, and home department held back-to-back meetings in Chandigarh on Monday to fine tune the police response while handling any untoward situation.
The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP-JJP coalition government said it is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that there is no repeat of the 2020 agitation, when farmer groups had marched in a similar manner through Haryana and blocked Delhi borders for almost a year.
By Monday, Haryana deployed thousands of paramilitary personnel along with state police to deal with what is being dubbed as “Dilli Chalo 2.0”.In view of the protests, prohibitory orders have been imposed in 16 of 22 the districts in the state even as Internet remained suspended in seven districts of North and North-West Haryana till Tuesday midnight.
District administrations in a few pockets have also ordered fuel pump owners not to fill more than 10 litre of diesel in tractors, and advising that fuel in is not sold in open drums.
Haryana police have warned the farmers that their passports will be cancelled and tractors would be impounded with registration cancelled, if they join the protest.
According to state officials, thousands of farmers from Punjab are planning to enter Haryana from different inter-state borders to further move to the national Capital on Tuesday.
Across Haryana in the areas that share border with Punjab and Delhi, the authorities have put in place multiple layers of metal and jersey barriers, concertina wires, spikes, tear gas shells, sandbags, drones, CCTV cameras, and other logistics to deal with any situation.
At least 15 farmer unions from Punjab-Haryana have given a call to march on February 13, to press for their demands, including a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP), waiver of farm loans, cancellation of pending criminal cases imposed after the 2020 agitation, etc.
Read more: Union ministers hold talks with farm leaders; farmers adamant on legal guarantee to MSP
Unlike 2020, when the farmers protested against three agricultural laws under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), no prominent organisations from Haryana are part of the agitation this time.
The farmer leader from Haryana, Gurnam Singh Charuni, head of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) -- a prominent face of the 2020 agitation -- is not part of the protest this time. Neither is Naresh Tikait-led Bhartiya Kisan Union that has followers in the sugarcane belt in western Uttar Pradesh.
The protests are being led under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (apolitical) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) including several breakaway factions of mainstream farmer bodies in Haryana and Punjab.
Over 114 companies of paramilitary forces and police have been deployed in Haryana and flag marches were carried out in the state. The forces also carried out drills on Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu in Ambala and dropped few tear gas shells across the barriers.
The state government has also turned three stadiums into open jails to detain agitators if they enter the state and has also sealed key highways connecting the state capital with Amritsar, Chandigarh and other parts of the northern region.
Traffic advisories have also been issued by the Haryana Police, claiming to provide regular traffic updates on its social media handles. However, alternative routes, not capable of handling heavy movement of traffic, remain chocked prompting the authorities to issue warnings for general public to avoid taking the routes for the next few days.
Farmer leader from Haryana Gurnam Singh Charuni, head of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), who was a prominent face of the previous stir, is not a part of the protest this time. Neither is Naresh Tikait-led Bhartiya Kisan Union that has followers in sugarcane-growing belt in the north.
The protests, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, are being led under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (apolitical) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), including several break-away factions of mainstream farmer bodies in Haryana and Punjab.
Relaxing at his farm house in Kurukshetra, Charuni said, “Though, all demands of the farmer unions are justified but these should have been kept forward before the Union government during the 2020 protests. This time, they didn’t even consult the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and I was sidelined intentionally. They should have taken all unions in confidence, which is their mistake. I hope there is no clash between the police and farmers.”
Social media accounts of Haryana farmer leader Tejveer Singh and Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), the faction of which he is the spokesperson, on X (microblogging site) were suspended.
Traffic chaos as key highways sealed
Over 114 companies of paramilitary and state police have been deployed across various districts in Haryana. Flag marches were carried out in the state. The forces also carried out mock drills on Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu in Ambala and dropped a few shells across the barriers.
The government has also turned three stadiums into open jails in Ambala and Sirsa to detain and keep agitators, if they are able to enter the state. Ambala administration has also sealed key highways connecting the capital with Amritsar (NH-44), Chandigarh (NH-152) and other parts of the northern region.
Traffic advisories have also been issued by Haryana Police, claiming to provide regular traffic updates on its social media handles.
However, the alternative routes, not capable of holding such heavy movement of traffic, remained choked prompting the authorities to issue warnings for the public to avoid venturing on roads for the next few days.
Meanwhile, as per reports, farmers held secret meetings in Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Yamunanagar and other parts of the state. Most of them are adopting “wait and watch” to decide on how the situation evolves on Tuesday morning.
Read more: Farmers' protest: Centre holds talk, tractors march to Delhi, borders sealed | Top updates
Evading police raids and harassment, many Haryana-based farmer leaders are camping in Punjab, a day ahead of farmer unions’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ call. At least three farmer leaders from Haryana, who are mobilising people in villages, went to Chandigarh in different buses on Monday and they will move to Punjab by late night.
Hydras to counter police barricades
Bhartiya Kisan Ekta state president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh said farmers from Punjab are bringing hydra cranes and JCB machines, apart from tractor-trailers to uproot the barricades installed by Haryana Police.
“In 2020 also, the BJP government in Haryana had installed barricades and barbed wires but they can’t restrict farmers’ from moving towards Delhi. We will move to Delhi again and this government will have to give a legal guarantee on MSP,” he added.
Akshay Narwal, state president of Rashtriya Kisan-Mazdoor Maha Sangha, said the farmers from Haryana will move towards border areas on Monday morning and police can’t restrict them.
“Many farmer leaders have shifted to the Punjab side and they are mobilising people by connecting to villagers. Internet services have been suspended but farmers will join the protest,” he added
Read more: Farmers' protest traffic advisory: Avoid these routes in Noida, Greater Noida
Tractor march in Sirsa
The farmers in Sirsa’s Rania assembly segment villages on Monday took out a tractor-march amid police presence and they claimed that they will move towards Dabwali border to receive their Punjab brothers.
Bhartiya Kisan Naujawan Union Haryana convener Abhimanyu Kohar, who is the face of this agitation in Haryana, said meetings have been conducted in different villages of Haryana and farmers will reach all three borders — Dabwali, Shambhu and Jind-Khanuari — on Tuesday morning and Punjab farmers will join them.
“We have told our farmer brothers to remain polite and not adopt an aggressive approach. If police resort to lathicharge or use some aggressive approach, then we will not allow BJP leaders to enter our villages in the upcoming Lok Sabha and parliamentary polls,” he added.
After Haryana Police stocked up heavy barricades, concrete walls, dug iron nails into concrete to deflate the tires of vehicles and sealed borders, buses coming to Haryana from Punjab in Sirsa, Jind and Fatehabad districts were stopped.
Delhi Police have sealed the Haryana-Delhi border at Jharoda, Tikri and Singhu. Delhi officials and their Haryana counterparts held a meeting on Monday evening at Tikri border and took stock of the measures. A government spokesman said farmers will not be allowed to cross the border and heavy security arrangements are being made.
