Farmers are throwing police barricades down from the flyover at Shmabhu on the Punjab-Haryana border as they march towards Delhi to press for their demand. Farmers, mainly from Punjab, accompanied by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh counterparts, started their ‘Chalo Delhi’ march after their meeting with the Union government remained inconclusive.
#WATCH | Protesting farmers throw police barricade down from the flyover at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border as they march towards Delhi to press for their demands. pic.twitter.com/oI0ouWwlCj
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2024
Why are farmers protesting?
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are holding a march to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The legal guarantee of MSP is the prime reason for the farmers’ protest. Apart from this, the farmers also demands for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, as well as farm debt waiver.
Traffic in Delhi-NCR was heavily affected on Tuesday due to barricades at Delhi borders in anticipation of the farmers’ march. There was tight security checks at Noida’s borders which led to significant traffic disruptions on Tuesday.
• Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic from 7 am, causing delays.
• Delhi airport issued an advisory for disruptions due to the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13.
Many gates at eight Delhi Metro stations were closed on Tuesday due to the farmers’ march to Delhi.
• Stations affected include Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Udyog Bhawan, Janpath, and Barakhamba Road.
• Khan Market metro station also had one gate closed as a precautionary measure on Tuesday.
Farmers from Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are launching a mega protest in the national capital of Delhi in order to call for a legal guarantee of MSP.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ march was announced last week to urge the Centre to accept their demands.
Security has been increased at the Singh, Tikri and Ghazipur border in Delhi, with cement barricading, metal nails and barriers installed to restrict movement of vehicles and prevent disturbances in the national capital.
The Delhi police on Sunday imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at the Uttar Pradesh borders to prevent mishaps ahead of the farmers’ protests on Tuesday.
Over 50,000 security personnel have been deployed at the borders in Delhi, and internet and bulk SMS services have been suspended in seven districts – Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa – for February 13.
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