Ahead of the February 13 ‘Delhi Chalo’ march organised by approximately 200 farmers’ unions, the Haryana Police has issued a traffic advisory urging people to avoid the main roads of the state unless absolutely necessary. To ensure law and order prior to the protest, large gatherings have been banned in Delhi’s Seelampur district and Haryana’s Panchkula city.
The Delhi Police is also on high alert regarding the farmers’ march, and tight security is being maintained on all borders of Delhi.
The farmers’ groups, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have called for the march to exert pressure on the Central government to address several demands, notably the enactment of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
To prevent farmers from Haryana and Punjab from reaching the Delhi border, the Delhi Police has started preparations, and large cranes and containers have been placed at the borders.
If farmers attempt to enter the Delhi border by crossing Haryana and Punjab in any way, the border will be sealed with cranes and containers.
In its advisory, the Haryana Police has also advised against travel to Punjab during this period and encouraged citizens to monitor its social media channels for updates on traffic conditions.
Furthermore, the police have cautioned of potential traffic disruptions on all main routes from Haryana to Punjab.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal issued a statement saying that while on one hand, the government is extending an invitation for dialogue, on the other hand, attempts are being made to intimidate us in Haryana.
“Borders are being sealed, Section 144 has been imposed, and internet services have been shut down. Does the government have the authority to shut down internet services? In such circumstances, constructive dialogue cannot take place. The government should immediately pay attention to this matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, Panchkula DCP Sumer Singh Pratap has issued an order to implement Section 144 in the city, following its earlier imposition in Ambala and Sonipat.
Currently, a prohibition is in effect against organising processions and demonstrations, either on foot or by tractors.
Sarvan Singh Pandher, General Secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, announced that a meeting with Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai regarding the demands of the farmers’ groups will take place in Chandigarh at 5 pm on February 12.
On Saturday, the Haryana government ordered the suspension of mobile internet services and bulk SMS in the districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa from 6 am on Sunday to 11.59 pm on February 13.
Additionally, extensive security measures have already been implemented on the Punjab-Haryana borders in Ambala, Jind, and Fatehabad districts to maintain law and order ahead of the scheduled farmers’ march.
The farmers intend to march to the national capital from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind, and Dabwali borders.
Haryana Police has deployed 50 companies of central paramilitary forces.
The call for the February 13 march came after farmers protesting on the Noida Expressway concluded their demonstration on Thursday evening following assurances from the police and authorities to address their demands.
Since December last year, thousands of farmers in Noida and Greater Noida have been protesting, seeking higher compensation and the development of plots for land acquired by local development authorities.
The protest led to significant traffic congestion on the Delhi-Noida border, with all borders also sealed for 24 hours.
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