Gurugram: Over 50 farmers detained, not allowed to march from Manesar to Delhi

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, February 20

The Gurugram police today did not allow the farmers’ march from Manesar to Delhi and detained over 50 protesting farmers. All protesters were taken to the Police Lines in Manesar in two buses from the protest site opposite Manesar tehsil.

Angry at low rate of compensation

• Farmers, angry over low rate of compensation for1,810 acres in five villages of Manesar, were gearing up for a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Tuesday
• After getting information, notices were handed over to many farmer leaders on Monday evening by the police but the farmers gathered at the protest site this morning under the banner of Dakshin Haryana Kisan Khap Samiti
• To stop the farmers from going to Delhi, more than 500 policemen were deployed at Manesar.

The farmers, angry over low rate of compensation for1,810 acres in five villages of Manesar, were gearing up for a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today. After getting information, notices were handed over to many farmer leaders on Monday evening by the police but the farmers gathered at the protest site this morning under the banner of Dakshin Haryana Kisan Khap Samiti. To stop the farmers from going to Delhi, more than 500 policemen were deployed at Manesar.

Section 144 imposed

Section 144 has already been imposed, but farmers are gathering. We have detained the farmers and if they flout Section 144, action will be taken as per the law. — Surender Singh, ACP, Manesar

Police teams reached the spot and asked the farmers to stop the protest. After waiting for an hour, the police finally detained the farmers and took them to Police Lines in two buses.

“Today the farmers wanted to march peacefully to Delhi but the governments adopted a dictatorial attitude and did not allow the farmers to go beyond Manesar. The government is afraid of the farmers’ movement,” said Santokh Singh, one of the protesters.

“The government wants to loot the farmers’ land by taking it at throwaway prices,” said Mahender Singh, a farmer leader.

Surender Singh, ACP, Manesar, said some farmers had gathered at the protest site so we have detained them.

“Section 144 has already been imposed, but the farmers are gathering. We have detained the farmers and if they flout Section 144, action will be taken as per the law”, added ACP Singh.