Adamant farmers break barricades in Haryana

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 26

Hundreds of thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana, on way to the national Capital as part of the “Delhi Chalo” protest against the Centre’s recent agriculture laws, on Thursday pushed their way through heavy police deployment, braved water cannons and tear gas and brought down barricades to reach the national highway.

There was a confrontation between the Haryana Police and the farmers at the Shambhu border. The farmers, riding tractor-trailers and raising slogans, outnumbered the police personnel and forced their way into Haryana. The use of water cannons and tear gas shells proved of little use as the protesters removed the barricades and dumpers parked in the middle of the road to obstruct their movement.

25,000 women protesters

25,000 women are taking part in the protest. “Over 4,000 tractor-trailers have been arranged for them,” said SS Kokrikalan, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan)

Stray incidents of stone-pelting were reported at the Shambhu border though none was injured. Sources claimed private and government vehicles were damaged in Kurukshetra, Karnal and Agroha. A toll plaza was damaged too. Farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Gurnam Singh Charuni, camping in Karnal for the night, and those making their way into Haryana through Munak in Tohana, Agroha in Hisar, Kaithal and the Khanauri border faced water cannons. In Gurugram, Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav and a group of protesters were detained by the police. By afternoon, the farmers from Punjab and Haryana had virtually swamped the highway till Panipat. The police, despite the barricades raised at several places, let them proceed after a brief face-off.

With a large number of farmers camping in Panipat, security at the nearby Karhans village has been tightened. The national highway has been dug up and stone pillars raised to stop the farmers. The Sonepat district administration has established a temporary jail at the IFCI building at Sewali village on NH-44.

Capt, Khattar fight it out on Twitter

It’s cheap politics

Stop inciting innocent farmers. Time for your lies, deception and propaganda is over. Let the people see your real face… avoid cheap politics. ML Khattar, Haryana CM

Blind to problems

Seems your govt has been so busy creating the bogey of non-existent ‘love jihad’ that you couldn’t see the problems of farmers on the ground. Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab CM

Traffic snarls, Delhi Police step up checking

New Delhi: Commuters from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh faced traffic snarls at several border crossings as the Delhi Police intensified checking in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by Punjab farmers who are scheduled to reach Delhi through five highways.

Routes used by farmers

Lalru | Shambhu | Patiala-Pehowa | Patran-Khanauri | Moonak-Tohana | Ratia-Fatehabad | Talwandi-Sirsa

Shiromani Akali Dal calls it a black day

Using force against farmers on Constitution Day. It’s a ‘black day’ for ‘annadattas’ of the country. SAD