Meanwhile, Haryana ropes in Army, Rail engineers to seal borders with Punjab

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, two umbrella bodies of farmer unions, have given a call for ‘Dilli Chalo’ on February 13 to press for demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations. Farmers have planned to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu border, Khanauri-Jind and the Bathinda-Dabwali border.

A police officer said that the farmers from Punjab won’t be allowed to enter the state. “We will make unconventional preparations this time. Instead of normal barricades, we will erect reinforced concrete cement (RCC) structures at the strategic points on the roads with the help of the engineers of Army and Railways, which would be difficult to penetrate even for army vehicles,” said the officer.

Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said, “We won’t allow breach of peace in any way in the state. Action will be taken if someone tries to spread anarchy”.

A senior officer told The Indian Express that the Haryana government had sought 64 companies of the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) and 50 of them have already been allotted to the state. “The rest too may also be allotted keeping in view the requirement and emerging scenario,” added the officer.

As of now, the police have made maximum preparations to block movement of the farmers from Punjab from Shambhu border in Ambala district. The police have also planned to keep ready mobile barricades to block the entry of farmers if they change their route. The state police intends to stop movement of Punjab farmers from February 11. The bordering districts of the state have already cancelled leaves of the police personnel.

The state officials are confident of stopping the movement of farmers from Punjab considering the fact that farmer union in Haryana have distanced themselves from the protest march.

Till now, no farmer organisation has sought any permission for the protest, Ambala SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said Thursday.

The Ambala police has already issued notices to farmer bodies asking them not to participate in the protest march without permission and warned them of strict action if they damage public property.

If any person is found participating in the protest without permission, legal action will be taken against them, Randhawa further stated. Randhawa said if agitators damage public property, strict action will be taken against them under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

Loss to government property will also be compensated by attaching the property and seizing bank accounts of the protesters, he said.

Police have asked farmers not to give their vehicles on rent or to any farmer otherwise these will be impounded and registration will be cancelled.

SHO of Ambala’s Sadar Police Station has issued an order to the local petrol pump managers not to give petrol or diesel to anyone especially those who have a flag of any kisan union on their vehicles.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are also demanding pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

In 2020, a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala gathered at the Shambhu border and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi.

Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, held a year-long protest on Delhi’s border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — against the three now-repealed farm laws.