Farmers protest: Heavy security cover at Delhi borders, traffic snarls reported

New Delhi, December 2

Farmers at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur intensified their protest on Wednesday and police stepped up security as thousands blocked key gateways into the national capital for the seventh day on the trot, leaving commuters to face a harrowing time.

The protest at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border also led to the closure of a key route connecting the national capital with Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

“The Chilla border on Noida link road is closed for traffic due to farmers’ protests near Gautam Budh Dwar. People are advised to avoid Noida link road for going to Noida and use NH 24 and DND instead,” the traffic police tweeted.

While the police have kept the Haryana-Delhi border at Singhu and Tikri closed for traffic, the protest at Ghazipur, the city’s border with Uttar Pradesh, has also intensified, an official said.

Two more border points connecting the national capital with Gurgaon and Jhajjar-Bahadurgarh were also closed as precautionary measures on Tuesday. With this, five border points, including Singhu and Tikri, have so far been closed due to the protest.

The traffic police said the borders at Tikri, Jharoda and Jhatikra are closed for all kinds of “traffic movement”. The Badusarai border is open only for two-wheelers.

Available open borders to Haryana are Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera, it said.

As traffic spilled over to alternative routes, it led to long jams there as well. The commuters entering or exiting Delhi faced inconvenience as the protesting farmers blocked key entrances to the city.

Meanwhile, the Delhi border points remained under heavy police deployment with concrete barriers and multi-layered barricades in place as the farmers continued their agitation against the Centre’s new agriculture reform laws.

According to the police, checking of vehicles has also been intensified at the border points as a precautionary measure in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest march by farmers.

“Cemented barriers and multi-layered barricades have been put up besides heavy security personnel at Ghazipur border near UP gate where many farmers have been protesting since Saturday,” a senior police officer said.

The protest against the new farm laws is set to continue as talks between three Union ministers and farmer groups ended in a stalemate on Tuesday after they rejected the government’s suggestion of a new committee to look into the issues raised by agitating farmers.

The two sides, however, have decided to meet again on Thursday. — PTI