Protesting Punjab farmers try to break barricades, face teargas shells at Shambhu border

Chandigarh: Security forces on Friday used teargas shells to disperse protesting farmers from Punjab when they tried to jump the specially erected barricades on the Shambhu border to enter Haryana on their way to Delhi.

Three to four farmers got minor injuries. Some of the farmers attempted to cross the makeshift barricade shed, heavily guarded by paramilitary and police personnel, by climbing on it. It was set up temporarily on the border to prevent the protesting farmers from moving ahead.

Just before the start of the march, mobile Internet and sending of bulk messages were suspended till December 9 in parts of Ambala district. District officials have already issued orders banning gatherings of five or more people, and government-run and private schools were shut for the day on the administration’s order.

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However, the first batch of 101 farmers removed barricades and barbed wires, concrete blocks and iron nails installed just ahead of the barricade shed guarded by a heavy welded wire mesh.

The protesting farmers began the march towards Parliament at 1 p.m.

The police have been advising the farmers not to move ahead and go back as they don’t have permission to go ahead.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher is at the protest site but not among the 101 farmers who marched towards the national capital.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Bhagirath Chaudhary has said the Centre is ready for talks. “Farmers should come and talk. Our doors are open for them or if they will invite us then we are also ready to go to them… PM Modi has worked for farmers from 2014 to 2024. He wants the farmers to become happy and prosperous,” the Minister said.

The farmers have been demanding legal guarantees for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops, debt waivers, pensions for farmers and agricultural labourers, and reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act.

To prevent disruptions, the Haryana Police have tightened security at the Ambala-Delhi border with multilayered barricades at the Shambhu border on National Highway 44 and have also deployed water cannons.

The Ambala administration has enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons in the district.

Ambala Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria said: “We have made adequate security arrangements. We have appealed to the farmers to maintain law and order. They have been told to obtain permission from the Delhi Police for their march. We will allow them to proceed only if they have the required permissions.”

The farmers’ earlier attempts to march to Delhi on February 13 and 21 were thwarted by heavy security at the Punjab-Haryana border. Since then, farmers under the banners of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been staging protests at these border points.