Tag: Bharatiya Kishan Union

  • Farmers protests: Heavy police deployment at Tikri, Singhu borders; Deep Sidhu to join probe

    By Agencies
    NEW DELHI: Delhi’s border points at Tikri and Singhu remained under heavy police deployment on Friday in the aftermath of the violence that broke out during a tractor parade by farmers in the national capital on Republic Day, officials said.

    Personnel of the Delhi Police, along with those of the paramilitary forces, have been deployed at the borders.

    Several roads have been closed and the traffic police has asked the commuters to take other routes.

    “Gazipur border closed. Traffic diverted from NH 24, NH 9, Road no 56, 57 A, Kondli, Paper market, Telco T point, EDM Mall, Akshardham & Nizammudin Khatta. Traffic is very heavy in the area & Vikas marg, Pl take alternate route.”

    “Singhu, Auchandi, Mangesh, Saboli, Piau Maniyari borders closed. Lampur, Safiabad, Singhu school & Palla toll tax borders opened. Pl Take alternate route. Traffic diverted from NH44 near DSIDC Narela. Avoid Outer Ring Rd, GTK road & NH 44,” the Delhi Traffic Police said in tweets.

    There was a traffic snarl on National Highway 24 on Thursday evening following the closure of the Ghazipur border.

    Hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) members stayed put on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Friday, notwithstanding the Ghaziabad administration’s ultimatum to vacate the UP Gate protest site.

    A confrontation was building up at the UP Gate in Ghazipur even as frequent power cuts were witnessed on Thursday evening at the protest site, where BKU members, led by Rakesh Tikait, are staying put since November 28 last year.

    ALSO READ | Farm laws: RLD chief Ajit Singh speaks to Tikait brothers, announces support to BKU

    Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey and Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani visited the protest site post midnight for a review of the situation even as hundreds of security personnel in anti-riot gears were deployed there since Thursday.

    The tractor parade on Tuesday that was to highlight the demand of the protesting farmer unions for a repeal of three new agriculture laws turned violent as the protesters deviated from the pre-designated routes, attacked police personnel, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

    The police issued lookout notices against farmer leaders on Thursday and announced a probe into the “conspiracy” behind the Republic Day violence.

    The police have so far registered 33 FIRs in connection with the violence and issued lookout notices against 44 people, including most of the farmer leaders.

    Meanwhile, Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been booked in connection with the religious flag incident at Red Fort, has said he needs some time to bring out the truth and then will join the investigation.

    The 36-year-old Sidhu is in the eye of a storm for being among the protesters who put up a religious flag atop the Red Fort on Republic Day.

    ALSO READ | Farmers protests: BKU members stay put at UP Gate despite government showing iron fist

    “Arrest warrant has been issued against me and also a look out notice has been issued against me. First I want to give this message that I will join the investigation,” Sidhu said in a video uploaded on Facebook.

    He said he needed some time to bring out the truth.

    “Because whatever has been spread, it is false information and it is misleading the public at large. Therefore, I need a couple of days to bring out the truth and then I will join the investigation,” said Sidhu.

    “I am requesting the investigation agencies. I have not done anything wrong then why should I run away and why should I be scared. I am not scared. I have done nothing wrong and that will come out,” he said.

    He told the investigation agencies and the police department that he will come to them in two days.

    “The kind of rumours being spread is not based on facts. I need two days to bring out the truth based on the facts and I will collect all the evidence and proof,” he stated.

    The Delhi Police had named actor Deep Sidhu in an FIR lodged in connection with the Red Fort incident.

    Sidhu was present at the Red Fort when a religious flag and a farmer flag were put at the flagpole at the historic monument, triggering massive outrage.

    Sidhu had been accused by farm bodies of trying to defame their agitation and termed a “traitor”.

    On Thursday, he had hit out at farm leaders for allegedly spreading false propaganda and hatred against him.

    On January 26, Sidhu, hailing from Punjab’s Muktsar district, had sought to defend the action of protesters at the Red Fort, saying they did not remove the national flag and had put up the ‘Nishan Sahib’ as a symbolic protest.

    Sidhu was also a close aide of BJP MP Sunny Deol, who contested from the Gurdaspur seat in Punjab during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

    He remained with Deol during the poll campaigning.

    Deol had distanced himself from Sidhu in December last year after he joined the farmers’ agitation.

    The cops has also arrested a man who had allegedly snatched a wireless set from a constable during the tractor parade, officials said on Friday.

    According to the police, the accused was previously involved in three cases lodged in the national capital in 2019.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) A Koan said, “We have arrested the accused who snatched a wireless set from Constable Sonu at Nangloi on Republic Day. The wireless set has been recovered from his possession.”

    The Delhi police are also keeping a watch on several Khalistan-related Twitter accounts, sources said.

    According to sources, the police are identifying such accounts and the content uploaded on social media platforms. These accounts posted several provocative tweets and the police are investigating further.

    The Special Cell was investigating the conspiracy and criminal designs behind these unfortunate events that occurred on Republic Day.

    ALSO READ | Delhi violence: Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu hits out at farmer leaders

    “A criminal case has been registered and is being investigated under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections of IPC dealing with sedition. The role and conduct of organisations and individuals based in India, as well as those out of the country, is being probed. The investigation is in progress and further details will be communicated in due course,” said Delhi Police Special Cell.

    The Special Cell has also lodged an FIR under UAPA and sections of IPC dealing with sedition to investigate the violence at Red Fort in Delhi on January 26.

    “The Kisan Andolan turned violent on January 26, 2021, leading to damage of public property in several parts of the national capital. Public property worth several crores of rupees were damaged by violent mobs and 394 police personnel sustained injuries while performing their lawful duty,” said Delhi Police Special Cell.

    A preliminary assessment suggests there was a pre-conceived and a well-coordinated plan to break the agreement reached between Delhi Police and the leaders of farmers organisations, to indulge in a violent confrontation with the security forces, to breach the sanctity of iconic and historical structures/monuments and to create an international embarrassment for the government on the occasion of the Republic Day, according to the Police.

    While urging the people protesting against the farm laws to remain peaceful, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Friday said that farmers’ leaders will talk to the central government about their issues.

    Rakesh Tikait along with farmers has been camping at the Ghazipur border for over two months. Ghaziabad District Administration had ordered anti-farm laws protestors at the Ghazipur border to vacate the area by late Thursday evening.

    However, farmers continue their protest there.

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ stir comes to an end in UP’s Baghpat; protesters allege use of force by police

    “We will not vacate the spot. We will talk to the Government of India about our issues. I urge the people to remain peaceful. Our talks with the government are going on,” Tikait told ANI.

    Earlier, Delhi Police had issued a notice to Tikait asking him to explain as to why legal action should not be taken against him for breaching the agreement with police regarding the tractor rally on January 26 in which 394 police personnel were injured and several public properties were damaged.

    (With PTI and ANI Inputs)

  • Farmers protests: BKU members stay put at UP Gate despite government showing iron fist

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Proceeding swiftly in the Republic Day violence case, the Delhi Police on Thursday issued 44 look-out circulars (LOC) against three dozen farm union leaders. They have been asked to join the probe by January 31 and directed to bring their passports along.

    Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government started to clear the Ghazipur agitation site.  LoCs are used by immigration officials to prevent accused persons from leaving the country.

    The process of seizure of passports has been initiated by the home ministry and is a major decision, officials said, explaining that all people who have been named by Delhi Police in the FIRs will not be carrying Indian passports till the matter is pending.

    Officials said the decision was taken on Thursday morning by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who has been holding a series of meeting with top officials of the Home Ministry and Delhi police since Tuesday when the large scale violence took place in the national capital during the farmers tractor rally.

    Shah has been continuously monitoring the situation in Delhi, a home ministry official said, adding that the minister is expected to chair a second meeting on Thursday night to review the law and order situation in the capital. 

    Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Thursday said that two brass finials on top of the minar were found missing after chaos ensued in the Red Fort complex but were later found in a damaged state.The case was transferred to Delhi police’s special cell to investigate “international angle” in the ensuing violence at Red Fort. Police has meanwhile invoked a criminal case under provisions of Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) and Sedition charges in the violence took place at Red Fort.

    ALSO READ | Delhi violence: Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu hits out at farmer leaders

    Besides the LOCs, Delhi Police has issued notice to 20 other farmer unions leaders including Yogendra Yadav, Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal Surjeet Singh Phool, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and others in connection with the violence that took place on Republic Day in Delhi.

    According to a senior police officer, notice has been issued to all farmer union leaders who attended the meeting with the Delhi Police, agreed to all 36 conditions and signed the undertaking to conduct the rally on Republic Day.

    Around 25 FIRs have been registered by the Delhi police in the matter and 19 accused arrested and 50 persons have been detained so far. Around 394 Police personnel have been injured in Tuesday’s violence.

    Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government since early Thursday morning removed water and electricity supply from the protest site at Ghazipur in a bid to clear the site.

    According to official sources, directions were issued from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the Ghaziabad administration to remove the protestors from the site and clear the road.

    The UP police and local administration has served ultimatum to farmers to vacate Ghazipur border by late night.

    Hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) members stayed put on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Friday as the crowd swelled there overnight, notwithstanding the Ghaziabad administration’s ultimatum to vacate the UP Gate protest site.

    On a call of the BKU, more farmers from western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut, Baghpat, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad and Bulandshahr reached the UP Gate by early morning to join the stir, even as the security forces at the protest site thinned out overnight.

    A confrontation was building up at the UP Gate in Ghazipur even as frequent power cuts were witnessed on Thursday evening at the protest site, where BKU members, led by Rakesh Tikait, are staying put since November 28 last year.

    Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey and Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani visited the protest site post midnight to review the situation there even as hundreds of security personnel in anti-riot gears were deployed since Thursday.

    Many of these personnel, including those from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), left the protest site in the dead of the night following official instructions.

    Flanked by supporters at 1 am, Tikait remained at the centrestage of the protest site — the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which has been barricaded from both sides, prohibiting regular traffic movement.

    Around 500 protesters stayed put at the UP Gate with more pouring in from western Uttar Pradesh in the night on the call of the BKU, an influential farmers’ union in north India.

    “Excess security force from the protest site has been withdrawn and only a minimal deployment of personnel remains there,” a Ghaziabad police officer told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

    “Tension was building at the UP Gate due to an excessive deployment of security personnel since Thursday evening,” he added.

    According to the officer, some BKU protestors were served notices under section 133 (removal of public nuisance) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on Thursday.

    Several protesters waved the tricolour with some waving flags of farmer unions such as the Kisan Ekta Manch amid a continuous sloganeering of “jai jawan, jai kisan”, while many of them were lying down on mattresses covered in blankets as they braved the bone-chilling cold and wind.

    “Zaroorat padhi to khade rehke dharna denge, tum dharne pe baithe rehne ki baat karte ho (I can protest while standing up and you are asking me whether I am going to continue my sit-in protest),” Jagat Singh Rathi, 78, said.

    With a muffler tied around his head and a stick in his hand for support while walking, the septuagenarian from Meerut said he has been at the BKU’s protest since the agitation was launched on November 28 last year.

    Asked if he would vacate the protest site following the administration’s communication, Rathi said, “(UP Gate) khaali nahi karenge. We have not seen any such order to vacate the protest site. When the Supreme Court has said farmers have a right to protest, then what? We will do it.”

    Ankit Sahrawat, a farmer from Muzaffarnagar, said he reached the UP Gate early on Friday along with 40-50 people.

    “More farmers from western Uttar Pradesh districts will reach here. Everybody has condemned what happened in Delhi on Republic Day but now they have made Chaudhary sahab (Rakesh Tikait) cry. Unke aansu nikle hain, wo sahan nahi hoga (Farmers will not tolerate that Tikait had to shed tears),” Sahrawat, who is around 35 years of age, told reporters.

    Tikait says not leaving site till last breath

    But as things stood till late Thursday evening, farmers seemed to be in no mood to relent. Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union, gave a fiery speech on Thursday threatening to commit suicide if the farm laws were not repealed.

    “I will stay here till my last breath, government is trying to forcefully kill our protest, government can do whatever they feel like, if bullets are fired then also we will continue to protest peacefully. We are here to talk to the government on repeal of farm laws and not going back till that is done.”

    Tikait further attacked the BJP government, saying that the administration is trying to frame farmers by “planting” their own members into the protesting group and these were the same people who ultimately led the violence on Republic Day at the Red Fort.

    Meanwhile, heavy police presence was reported at Singhu border as the police barricaded a portion of the road in order to restrict the protesting farmers from coming to one side from the other.

    Hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union members stayed put on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway early on Friday, notwithstanding the Ghaziabad administration’s ultimatum to vacate the UP Gate protest site.

    A confrontation was building up at the UP Gate in Ghazipur even as frequent power cuts were witnessed in the evening at the protest site, where BKU members, led by Rakesh Tikait, are staying put since November 28.

    In a post-midnight review of situation, Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey and Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani visited the protest site even as hundreds of security personnel in anti-riot gears were deployed since Thursday.

    Flanked by supporters at 1 am, Tikait remained at the centre stage of the protest site — the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which has been barricaded from both the sides, prohibiting regular traffic movement.

    Around 500 protestors stayed put at UP Gate with more pouring in from western Uttar Pradesh in the night on the call of the BKU, an influential farmers’ union in North India.

    “Excess security force from the protest site has been withdrawn and only a minimal deployment of personnel remains there,” a Ghaziabad police officer told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

    “The tension was building at UP Gate due to excessive deployment of force since Thursday evening,” the officer added.

    Several protestors waved the tricolour with some waving flags of farmer unions like Kisan Ekta Manch amid a continuous sloganeering of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, while many were lying down on mattresses covered in blankets as they braved bone-chilling cold and wind.

    “Zaroorat padi to khade rehke dharna denge, tum dharne pe baithe rehne ki baat karte ho (I can protest while standing up and you are asking whether I am going to continue my sit-in protest),” Jagat Singh Rathi, 78, said.

    With a muffler tied around his head and a stick in his hand for support while walking, the septuagenarian from Meerut said that he has been at the BKU’s protest since its beginning on November 28.

    Asked if he would vacate the protest site following the administration’s communication, he said, “(UP Gate) khaali nahi karenge. We have not seen any such order to vacate the protest site. When the Supreme Court has said that farmers have a right to protest then what? We will do it.”

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ stir comes to an end in UP’s Baghpat; protesters allege use of force by police

    The “verbal” communication from the district administration to the BKU on Thursday came close on the heels of three farmer unions withdrawing their protest against the three farm laws over the violence in Delhi on Republic Day.

    “Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey has communicated to the protestors camping at the UP Gate at Delhi border to vacate the spot by tonight or the administration will remove them,” a district official had told PTI.

    Crowd turns thin at protest sites

    The crowd at the protest sites in Delhi’s Singhu and Tikri borders was visibly thin on Thursday, even though the farmer unions said it was because the protesters, who had come to the national capital to take part in January 26 march, have returned home.

    Additional police personnel were deployed at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders — the three main sites where farmers have been protesting the Centre’s new farm laws — as a preventive measure in the view of the violence on Republic Day that left 394 policemen injured and one protestor dead.

    The Singhu border, one of the major protest sites that has been home to thousands of farmers for over two months, was noticeably less populated on Thursday than what it used to be before the Republic day, or even before that.

    The number of tractors have reduced, and so have the protestors, while reaching from one end to the other end of the street, that were chock-a-block till last week, can be now done in no time.

    Farmers said it was because the protestors who had come to Delhi specifically to participate in the tractor parade on January 26 have returned home.

    “There is no dearth in our spirits to continue our fight against the three farm laws.

    The fact that Singhu looks empty is a mere optical illusion.

    “Just because there were too many people in the run up to the parade, now that they have gone back, it looks like this,” said Baldev Singh, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha.

    The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, however, on the eve of Republic Day had announced that all the farmers, who would join the tractor march, would stay back and living arrangements would be made for them.

    According to Baldev Singh, the protest site also appeared to be less crowded because there were protestors who had been camping here since the very first day, and had waited till Republic Day before returning home.

    “But then some other members of their families will join us.

    The protest is only getting stronger,” Baldev Singh said.

    The agitation to demand the repeal of the three laws was their “single point agenda” and they were not going to move from Singhu until they are met, added Ashwini Kumar, district president, Punjab Kisan Union.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Urgrahan, whose organisation has been leading protest at the Tikri border, said there were many people who had come to Delhi to participate in the tractor parade and now they have left for their home.

    That’s why the site appears to be less crowded.

    It is perhaps the low population at the Singhu border that has caused several service providers to temporarily shut shop, including langars, ironing service, and the Kissan Mall.

    At the Singhu protest site, most dismissed the idea of the thinning crowd and said the services were unavailable because they were restocking supplies.

    “The agitation is as strong as ever. People are going home and returning. Kissan Mall is shut today only because we are waiting for some fresh supplies. It will be open again from tomorrow,” said a volunteer of Khalsa Aid that runs the mall.

    A similar response was shared by Roshan Singh, who has been running a langar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at the site for nearly two months.

    On Thursday afternoon, the langar was deserted and the stoves were out.

    “We served food in the morning but are closed now because we ran out of products. Our enthusiasm about the protest has not at all decreased,” he said.

    The set up where the ironing services were being provided has simply disappeared.

    For Gurjeet Singh, a farmer from Patiala, the movement continues to remain solid.

    While he arrived at Singhu in November with a group of 20, only five are currently present at the site.

    “Many people have just gone back to take care of things at home. Like one person in our group has gone back for his sister’s wedding, another has gone back because of a medical issue.”

    “What happened on Republic Day was the government’s way of maligning our movement, but it has had no impact whatsoever on the enthusiasm of our agitation and we are stronger than ever,” he said.

    As far as the future of the farmers protest is concerned, the February 1 farmers march to the Parliament stands postponed, and farmer leaders are chalking out their further strategy.

    Meanwhile, a fast would be observed on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, said Baldev Singh.

    Nearly 400 policemen were injured during the tractor parade of the farmers who have been protesting against three central farm laws at Delhi’s borders since late November.

    The Delhi Police on Wednesday had alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence during the tractor parade, as it warned that no culprit will be spared.

    The police have filed 33 FIRs in connection with the violence during the rally.

    Nineteen people have been arrested and around 50 detained.

    15 more arrested in last 24 hours: Delhi Police

    The Delhi Police on Thursday detained 15 more people for their suspected involvement in the violence during the farmers’ tractor parade, officials said.

    Nearly 30 farmers who were camping at DDA Ground in Burari were also moved towards the Singhu border to clear the site, they said.

    The police also stepped up security at the Red Fort, which was stormed by a large number of protesting farmers who deviated from the designated parade route on Tuesday, and Singhu and Tikri borders, the officials said.

    Thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws had clashed with the police during the tractor rally called by farmer unions to highlight their demand for the repeal of the legislations.

    Many of the protesters reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

    Some of them even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts.

    “Around 15 people have been detained for their suspected involvement in the violence on Republic Day and for violating laws,” Additional Delhi Police PRO Anil Mittal said.

    Nearly 30 farmers who were protesting at DDA Ground in Burari have been moved towards the Singhu border, he said.

    The ground will be cleared soon, the police said.

    A senior police officer said security at the Red Fort has been stepped up after Tuesday’s incident.

    Police personnel have also been deployed in large numbers at the city’s Singhu and Tikri borders, the officer said.

    Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at various border points of Delhi, including Singhu and Tikri, since November 28, demanding the repeal of the new farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

    Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police said its Special Cell will investigate the “conspiracy” and “criminal designs” behind the violence on Republic Day.

    As of Thursday, the police had filed 25 criminal cases, arrested 19 people and detained 200 in connection with the violence.

    Nearly 400 police personnel were injured in the clashes with the protesters, according to officials.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Tear gas fired as farmers break police barricades, begin tractor parade much before scheduled time

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Thousands of farmers protesting against the three farm laws began their first of a kind tractor parade in the national capital, much before the time they were granted permission by Delhi Police for the event.

    At Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk, security personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades and cemented barriers with tractors at Delhi’s Mukarba Chowk.

    While farmers’ unions assured the Delhi Police that their tractor parade would only start after the official Republic Day concludes, farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur started marching into the national capital on their tractors.

    Security personnel tried to convince farmers to stick to the decided plan, but they did not relent and forced their way into the city.

    ALSO READ | No question of redrafting three farm laws, repeal them: Trinamool to Modi government

    Tractors bearing flags were seen, along with men and women dancing on dhols, and locals on both sides of the road showering petals on cavalcades.

    Farmers also held their tractor parade in other parts of the country as they intensified their agitation against the three contentious farm laws.

    A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

    An official said that police personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers coming from the Singhu border point to disperse them after they tried to hold their march on Outer Ring Road.

    Gyan Singh, 65, from Punjab’s Firozpur walked on foot, said it is a test of his physical and mental strength, adding they “will keep walking till the last point.”

    “We have been enduring the vagaries of weather for months now. It doesn’t deter us. This should give a message loud and clear.We accept nothing but a win,” said Rampal Singh, 62, from Haryana’s Kaithal.

    ALSO READ | Governor has time for Kangana, but not farmers: Pawar hits out at Koshyari

    The protesting unions has also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is presented, to press for their demands including a repeal of the three agriculture laws.

    Heavy security has been deployed in view of the ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ that will move into Delhi from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

    On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the annual Republic Day parade.

    The protesters were told they can’t disrupt the celebrations at Rajpath even as the farmers insisted their parade will be “peaceful”.

    Meanwhile, a tractor with two farmers on it overturned during a stunt at the Delhi-Noida border.

    The tractor was being driven in a circular path at a high speed when it lost balance and overturned, while the two persons on board got minor injuries during the act at the Chilla border in the morning.

    The sight of the overturned tractor, bearing a tricolour and a flag of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu), was short lived as several protesters came together to put the vehicle back on its four tyres.

    Chanting ‘rang de basanti’ and ‘jai jawan jai kisan’ numerous farmers rode tractors, motorbikes, horses and even cranes to cross the national capital’s borders into the city for their proposed parade against the three contentious farm laws.

    Locals stood on both sides of the roads at various locations showering flower petals on the farmers amid drum beats.

    Standing atop vehicles decked up with flags, the protesters danced to the tune of patriotic songs such as ‘Aisa desh hai mera’ and ‘Sare jahan se achcha’.

    “People think farmers are only meant to plough their fields. But there is much more to a farmer’s life. We also ride motorbikes and horses though we worship our tractors as it helps in earning our bread and butter.”

    “Today, everything is on display in this historical rally,” said Gagan Singh, a protestor riding a horse to the parade.

    Parmajeet Bibi, a woman in her late 40s, who was riding a tractor said, “Women are not just cooking at community kitchens. We help men in fields and we are riding tractors in this rally to send out a strong message”.

    Aditya Pajetta, a farmer from Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar, carried a 15-kg plough on his shoulder while marching from Singhu border.

    “Our fight is to save this plough. Generations have been involved in farming and it will be a pity if we cannot save their legacy. I have started marching from Singhu border and will carry it to the spot where the rally will conclude,” he told PTI.

    The cranes which were part of the rally had a makeshift podium on the top with a mattress at the front for people to sit.

    The tricolour and flags of different farmer unions fluttered as marches began from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points, much ahead of the time decided for the tractor parade.

    Security personnel tried to convince the protesters to stick to the designated route and time and maintain peace.

    “We support the demands of farmers. We survive on what they produce and it is time we stand up for them. We salute their spirit,” said Rani Devi, whose family was applying tilak to forehead of the participants.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

    Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP (minimum support price) and do away with the “mandi” (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

  • Tractor parade: Protesters erect machans to keep watch on crowd; tight security at the national capital

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: The farmers at Delhi borders are employing their time-tested wisdom to ensure that no miscreant creates disturbance at the protest venues.

    They have erected machans (platform used for observing farmland) at some of the protest sites and are keeping an eye on the movement of people, especially at night.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Police stated that they have asked the protest leaders to stay alert. 

    One of the first such machan has come up at Tikri border where a group of farmers are keeping a close watch on the people’s movement. A farmer leader Amarjit Singh said they were just employing their field experience.

    “We make these machans in our fields in order to scare away birds and stray animals from destroying our crops. Also, our armed forces make similar platforms to keep a vigil on the borders. On the same lines, these platforms have been erected at our protest sites and the police have also praised our effort.”

    Meanwhile, sources said that a youngster was caught at Tikri border with a pistol and handed over to the police.

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ rally: Hundreds of women to drive tractors, make their presence count

    Significantly, several farmer leaders have recently alleged there is a “plot” to disrupt their tractor rally on the Republic Day and also a “conspiracy” to kill their four leaders.

    The farmer leaders claimed they had caught a youth who was allegedly in police uniform and purportedly confessed he was part of a group of 10 people who had been instructed to create disturbance during the tractor rally by opening fire in the air. 

    The youth had also created disturbance at the Kisan Mahapanchyat of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar in Karnal.

    The farmers had handed over the youth to the Haryana Police, but he later claimed that he had made those “false” statements as farmers threatened him. 

    Tight security layer in national capital

    The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions leading protests against the Centre’s farm laws, said their tractor parade will not enter central Delhi and it will start only after the official Republic Day parade on Rajpath concludes.

    The unions said around two lakh tractors are expected to participate in their parade, which will move into the city from three border points–Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur (UP Gate).

    According to the unions, there is no limit on vehicles.

    Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city’s supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

    An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil.

    Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

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    The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

    Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said.

    A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations.

    Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said.

    The parade will be shorter this year.

    Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium.

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    Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said.

    “We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along the enclosures.

    We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter.

    “This system is fed with a database of nearly over 50,000 people, including that of suspected terrorists, criminals and anti-social elements,” said another senior police officer.

    According to an advisory, no traffic will be allowed on Vijay Chowk from 6 pm on Monday till the parade is over.

    Rajpath is already out of bounds.

    No cross traffic on Rajpath intersections from 11 pm on Monday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till parade is over.

    To maintain law and order during the farmers’ tractor parade, thousands of security personnel have been already deployed at several border points.

    Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), claimed on Sunday that over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to disrupt the tractor parade.

    The traffic going towards the NH-44 and the GT Karnal Road will be diverted from Singhu Shani Mandir, Ashok Farm/Janti Tall, Hamidpur, Sunderpur Majra, Zindopur Mukhmelpur, Kadipur, Kushak Colony, Mukarba Chowk and GTK Depot,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Meenu Chowdhary said.

    The second batch of vehicles will start from the Tikri border and pass through Nangloi, Baprola Village and Najafgarh, excluding Phirni Road, Jharoda Border, Rohtak Bypass (Bahadurgarh) and Asoda Toll Plaza, Chowdhary said.

    Police said the traffic will be diverted from different points.

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    Traffic will not be allowed to enter on the Rohtak road from Kirari Mor and will be diverted towards Mangolpuri.

    It will also be diverted from Ghevra Mor towards Khanjawala, they said.

    Tractors from the Ghazipur border will cover some portion of the NH-24 from where they will take a right turn to Road Number 56, ISBT Anand Vihar, Apsara Border, Hapur Road, Bhopura, IMS College, Lal Kuan and Ghazipur Border, police said.

    Hundreds of women farmers are also expected to drive tractors.

    Farmer leaders have appealed to those participating in the parade to carry enough ration for 24 hours and ensure that the rally remains peaceful.

    “No one should carry any weapon or drink alcohol. Banners carrying inciting messages are not allowed,” a farmer leader said.

    Enacted in September last year, the three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the minimum support price and do away with the ‘mandi’ system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

    Delhi Police NOC for tractor parade caps number of participants, allocates fixed time slot

    The Delhi Police has given a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the tractor parade with 37 conditions, including capping the number of participants and allocating a fixed time slot, officials said on Monday.

    According to the NOC, the parade has to be restricted to the permitted routes only, and no dharna, demonstration or sit-in protest should be held on the parade route.

    Only 5,000 people on as many tractors will be allowed to participate in the parade in Delhi, and it shall be held within the prescribed time slot of 12 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday, it said.

    The organisers shall carry all the permissions granted in original and show them to any police officer on demand.

    Farmers leaders Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgil and Joginder Singh Ugraha shall be available during the proposed tractor parade for liaison and coordination, the advisory said.

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    The NOC states that organisers should ensure deployment of 2,500 volunteers along the prescribed routes.

    The details of the volunteers have to be provided to the police in advance, it mentioned.

    As per the NOC, the organisers will also have to ensure that participants in the tractor parade do not consume any intoxicating substance or indulge in disorderly conduct.

    There should be no obstruction on the roads, and the parade should move from the starting point to the terminal point without any addition of tractors or other vehicles along the route, the advisory said.

    Tractors that break down during the parade cannot be replaced, it added.

    Emergency vehicles such as those of the fire brigade and the police and ambulances must not be stopped, or movement of essential goods and services obstructed, the advisory further said.

    The organizers shall not use metal rods for flags or banners and wooden sticks not more than two metres in length may be used for the purpose.

    The dimensions of flags shall be nine feet by six feet or smaller.

    No objectionable flag/banner/poster of any kind should be displayed/posted/carried by any of the constituent of the parade, it added.

    The route of the parade has been decided by the Delhi Police and adequate arrangements have been made to maintain law and order, a senior Ghaziabad police official said on Monday.

    No route chart has been issued for it by the Ghaziabad police, the official said.

    Giving route details, BKU Uttar Pradesh president Rajbir Singh Jadaun told PTI that the rally will start at 11 am on Tuesday from the Ghazipur border and reach Akhshardham temple in Delhi.

    From there, tractors will take a U-turn from a flyover and will proceed towards Dilshad Garden in Delhi and then Apsara Cinema on the Ghaziabad border.

    It will enter Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district via Mohan Nagar GT road, Meerut road trisection and reach Duhai, he said.

    The rally will then proceed towards UP Gate through Dasna from the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Jadaun said.

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    Police force has been deployed on all the routes to maintain law and order, the police official said.

    Farmers from Modinagar, Meerut and Baghpat of Uttar Pradesh may go back to their destinations from the Meerut road trisection.

    Tractors and protesting farmers will reach UP Gate- Ghazipur border after culmination of the rally, Jadaun said.

    The police said that 1,000 constables, 500 head constables, 300 sub-inspectors, 50 inspectors, 12 circle officers, 400 traffic constables, 14 traffic sub-inspectors, five traffic inspectors, a company of the RAF, six companies of the PAC have been deployed in Ghaziabad district in view of the rally.

    Intelligence units have also been pressed into service to keep extra vigil on anti-social elements who may join the rally to create nuisance, they said.

    Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said that entry of heavy vehicles has been banned from 8 pm Monday till the culmination of the Republic Day parade in Delhi.

    Parking at metro railway stations has been closed till 2 pm Tuesday.

    Ghaziabad district has been divided into six zones and 11 sectors for management of law and order, officials said.

    Zonal and sector magistrates have been deployed.

    Fire tenders and teams of the health department have also been deputed on all the routes, District Magitrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.

    Hundreds of tractor-borne farmers stopped from proceeding to Delhi: Police

    The Mathura police on Monday claimed it has persuaded hundreds of tractor-borne farmers against proceeding to join the parade in Delhi and made them return home.

    Mathura Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shirish Chandra said hundreds of Delhi-bound farmers from Mat, Baldeo, Bajna, Raya and Goverdhan areas of the district agreed to halt their tractor journey to the national capital and return home on long persuasion by the police.

    As a precautionary measure, the police force had been deployed on the Yamuna Expressway and other routes leading to Delhi, he said.

    He said farmers’ attempts to reach the Yamuna expressway were foiled without any untoward incident.

    Meanwhile, farmer leader Buddha Singh Pradhan, a former district president of the Tikait group, on Monday condemned the alleged indifferent attitude of union government towards farmers.

    He said the agitation would not be withdrawn unless three farm laws enacted by the centre are repealed.

    (With PTI Inputs)