February 14, 2024
NEW DELHI – Chaos was witnessed at Shambhu border as the protesting farmers broke police barricades and attempted to cross over, even as the Haryana police detained many farmers.
According to reports, a large number of farmers have gathered at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border. The police have blocked all roads entering Delhi with barricades and nails to stop the farmers coming to protest denial of MSP.
News agency ANI reported that the protesting farmers forcibly removed cement barricades with their tractors as they tried to cross over the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are demanding minimum support price (MSP) for their produce as assured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the time of withdrawal of three contentious farm laws in November 2021.
Massive security arrangements have been put in place on the borders of the national capital in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest by farmers. To ensure law and order, Delhi police have already enforced Section 144, restricting entry of tractor trolleys and large assemblies.
Visuals from Delhi’s Gazipur border, Shambhu border and Tikri border showed barricades and barbed wires erected on the roads blocking entry. Similar arrangements were observed at the Singhu border with rows of barricades lining the road.
According to police, a robust force of more than 2,000 personnel, including CAPF, Crime Branch staff and battalions, are keeping a vigil to maintain law and order and address any untoward incidents.
The meeting between the farmer union leaders and the government ended in a stalemate on Monday with no common ground in sight.
On the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said he remains hopeful of a breakthrough, adding that the Centre wants to arrive at a resolution through dialogue. Speaking to the reporters here after holding a fresh round of talks with the protesting farmer leaders, the minister informed that while a breakthrough wasn’t achieved, a broad consensus was reached on most of the issues of contention.