Haryana: Farmers gathering at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana, a crucial meeting spot for those en route to Delhi as part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement, were fired tear shells by police forces.
Alarming visuals depict dense smoke, severely limiting visibility, as hundreds of farmers, their supporters, and media personnel scramble amidst the sound of tear gas shells being fired.
The use of tear gas, marking the initial signs of violence, occurred as the clock struck noon when the farmers initiated their march towards Delhi.
Approximately two dozen shells were discharged in two rounds, seemingly without any immediate provocation from the farmers other than commencing their planned protest, NDTV reported.
Footage also captures police and army personnel, significantly outnumbered within an hour of the protest’s commencement, releasing smoke bombs from drones in an effort to disperse the gathering of farmers.
Around 200 farmer unions, comprising an estimated one lakh farmers from neighboring Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, started their march towards Delhi on Tuesday morning. This mirrors the previous protests that resulted in numerous casualties and the blockade of the city for months in 2020 and 2021.
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for the commuters. According to the police, there will be diversions around the Singhu Border (Delhi-Haryana).
A sea of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have called for the march on February 13 (Tuesday) to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021.
The Haryana government has enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in 15 out of the total 22 districts.
Additionally, Section 144 has been imposed in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, which borders Punjab’s Fazilka, Muktsar, and Bathinda districts.
