Confrontation Builds Up At Delhi-UP Border As Cops Try To Remove Farmers

 

Uttar Pradesh has taken a hard line on the farmers protesting against the farm laws since the violence in parts of Delhi during the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day.

 Farmers during their protest against the farm laws at the Ghazipur border in New Delhi

New Delhi: Farmers protesting against the Centre's contentious farm laws are locked in a face-off with the police at the Ghazipur border, as Uttar Pradesh decided to take action two days after the violence during the Republic Day tractor rally. The local administration has asked the farmers to end their protest and vacate the road by tonight. But the farmers have refused to budge, with farmer leader Rakesh Tikait declaring that he is "ready to face bullets" if needed. The other two key borders -- Tikri and the epicenter of farmers' protests, Singhu -- have been placed under heavy security. The police have dug up roads, using JCB machines.

    

"The Supreme Court has justified the peaceful sit-in," Rakesh Tikait told reporters. "There has been no violence on the Ghazipur border. Despite this, the government is adopting a repressive policy. It is the face of the Uttar Pradesh government," he added

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Massive police deployment has been made in the area and the Rapid Action Force has been called in. The administration has cut off power and water supply to the hundreds of farmers, who have been camping out on the roads. The Ghazipur border had been sealed since the farmers started their "Delhi Chalo" protest on November 26.  On Tuesday, the farmers had broken barricades and taken out their tractor rally.

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A huge security build-up has started at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu border -- seen as an indication of action. But despite the huge police presence, tension rose as a group of 100 people, who claimed to belong to a right wing group, managed to get past the security cordon and demanded that the farmers be evicted.

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"The government's efforts to discredit the ongoing farmers' movement are continuing. The nervousness of the government is evident from how it is installing security forces on all borders. The government wants to show this movement as 'violent' again and again, but the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has a unanimous approach to ensure that the movement will remain peaceful," farmers' group Samyukta Kisan Morcha said in a statement.

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In several protest sites of Uttar Pradesh, farmers have been told to go. On Wednesday night, the Baghpat administration got a protest site vacated in the district, but denied using force. "The elderly people, including a mentally unsound person, were sent to their homes," said Baghpat Additional District Magistrate Amit Kumar Singh.

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The Baghpat administration said it got the area vacated after receiving a request from the National Highways Authority of India, over its pending construction work. In smaller protest sites at Mathura and Fatehpur, protesters were told to go as well.

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In neighbouring Haryana -- another BJP-ruled state -- farmers who had been protesting for nearly two months in Karnal, were told to leave. The locals gave them a 24-hour ultimatum, saying they were facing inconvenience because of the protests. The Haryana Police has also been trying to get back the control of highway toll plazas, which had been over-run by the farmers.

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The government had been against the tractor rally, arguing that it would be an "embarrassment to the nation". But it failed to make headway in the Supreme Court, which earlier pointed out that the right to hold peaceful protests has been granted by to the Constitution. The court had left the decision on the rally to the Delhi Police, saying it was a matter of law and order.

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Regards

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Ayush Gaur(Head)

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