1. Security tightened as farmers prepare to restart ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
2. Haryana Police calls on Punjab counterparts to confiscate tools for barricade breaking.
3. Discussions on MSP guarantees remain deadlocked as protesters persist.
New Delhi, Feb 21: Security measures have been intensified as protesting farmers gear up to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march from the Punjab-Haryana border, with discussions on minimum support price (MSP) guarantees still at an impasse.
Haryana Police has urged their Punjab counterparts to seize any tools brought by the demonstrators for breaking police barricades.
Around 14,000 farmers, equipped with 1,200 tractor trolleys, 300 cars, and 10 mini-buses, have congregated at the border.
Delhi Police has heightened vigilance, conducting drills to secure entry points, as farmers prepare to advance towards the capital after being halted at the interstate border since February 13.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, reiterated the peaceful nature of the protest and urged the government to remove barricades for unimpeded passage to Delhi.
According to government estimates, approximately 14,000 farmers have amassed at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana.
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To facilitate their journey to Delhi, they are employing 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, and 10 mini-buses.
The Home Ministry has reported the gathering of 4,500 protesters and 500 tractors at the Dhabi-Gujran border point.
Expressing concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the Ministry, in a missive to the Punjab government, pointed to alleged troublemakers masquerading as farmers engaging in stone-pelting and bringing heavy machinery like bulldozers and earthmovers to the Shambhu border.
The Ministry highlighted the “modification and armour-plating” of machinery by the farmers to dismantle police barricades, raising fears of potential damage to the barriers and posing significant risks.
