Farmers’ Protest Delhi Highlights: Security heightened, barricades at Noida-Delhi borders amid farmers protest march

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday said over 6,000 people participated in the first two days of the Delhi Development Authority(DDA's) special camps in unauthorised colonies under the PM-UDAY scheme and 1,028 new applications have been received for ownership rights.

In a post on X, Saxena said 6,654 people participated in the 10 camps and flaws in 710 old applications were removed.

A total of 1,028 new applications were received for ownership rights and 275 applications were approved, he said, adding that 231 conveyance deeds/authorisation slips were also executed.

The Prime Minister-Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) scheme is aimed at granting ownership rights to the residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi. The primary objective of the scheme is to provide legal recognition to residents' properties, by conferring ownership rights.--PTI

Underlining that the district courts in the capital are facing "an acute shortage of stenographers", a circular said it expects all Delhi Higher Judiciary Services (DHJS) officers to relieve their stenographers if they are deputed to perform duties in another court.

The circular dated November 28, issued by Principal District and Sessions Judge (Headquarters) Sanjay Garg, said, "The Delhi district court establishment is currently experiencing an acute shortage of personal assistants/senior personal assistants (stenographers) and every day, the requirement of substitute PA/Sr PA from the courts (which have no PA/Sr PA) is more than the available stenographers." It said to ensure that the administration of justice is not adversely impacted, one of the regular stenographers posted in the courts of DHJS officers (except in Garg's court and across all the family courts) could be withdrawn on a rotational basis, starting from the juniormost judicial officer, to meet the daily requirements of stenographers.--PTI

Ahead of their proposed march towards Delhi on December 6, a Punjab farmers' delegation met top Ambala police officers in Haryana on Monday and informed them about the details of their plan.

The delegation was led by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher who said the delegation has informed the police administration about the route of the farmers' march.

He assured that the march would be peaceful and traffic along the route would not be blocked.

"The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. We gave details about our programme, which we have already announced to the media. We said that we would go in 'jathas' and go peacefully. There will be no traffic blockade. We will halt on the roads at night," Pandher said.

Asked if the Haryana authorities had given permission for the march to proceed towards Delhi, the farmer leader said, "They will hold a meeting and accordingly inform us." Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.--PTI

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has informed the National Green Tribunal that garbage was found spilling on the road in front of a 'dhalao' near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here.

Earlier, the green body had sought a response from authorities, including the DPCC, in the matter regarding garbage being dumped in a dhalao (garbage receptacle point), having a 30-metre stretch opposite gate number 6 of the hospital.

The report by the DPCC, which was uploaded on the tribunal's website on Monday, said an inspection was carried out on October 8, which found "the dhalao partially filled with mixed garbage and spilling over the road in front." It said the dhalao, which was bounded from three sides, did not have a gate or a roof and that there were 11 garbage bins filled with different types of waste.--PTI

With the Delhi Assembly elections approaching, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) welcomed a new member on Monday: Avadh Ojha, a renowned Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) educator and motivational speaker who also runs a YouTube channel with over 9 lakh followers.

During the induction ceremony, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal welcomed Ojha into the party by presenting him with the party scarf and cap. Highlighting Ojha’s credentials, Kejriwal remarked, “Avadh Ojha ji is a well-known name in the field of education in this country who has inspired millions. With his joining, the party will grow stronger, and the education sector will benefit immensely. Our effort has always been to bring individuals excelling in areas like education and health into politics to maximise their impact.”

The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Monday held a demonstration here against alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and demanded that the United Nations intervene to stop the atrocities.

The protest at Jantar Mantar witnessed the participation of several people, who raised slogans demanding the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also warned Bangladesh's interim government that if the atrocities against Hindus did not stop, the country could be divided into two.

VHP Delhi unit chief Kapil Khanna said the situation in Bangladesh was worrying.

There is anger among the Hindus and they have come here to express their anger, he claimed.

"Atrocities are being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh and lakhs of Hindus have been displaced. Our sisters and daughters are being tortured," he said.--PTI

Emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV to deal with air pollution will continue to be in force in Delhi with the Supreme Court on Monday making clear that it would not permit any relaxation without there being a consistent downward trend in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

A bench of Justices A S Oka and A G Masih noted that the AQI levels had not stabilised and were still on the rise after an initial reduction.

“The AQI is not stable. It has increased. We will look at your suggestions but today we will not permit relaxation….We want to ensure that there is a downward trend before we permit relaxations. Ultimately someday we will have to leave it to you. But at least we must be satisfied that there is some consistent downward trend,” Justice Oka told Additional Solicitor-General Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared for the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Delhi’s air quality has improved in the last three days, according to data from pollution control boards, but the air remains unhealthy. On Monday at 8 am, Delhi reported an air quality index (AQI) of 273, in the “poor” category, an improvement from the previous day’s AQI of 311, categorised as “very poor”.

Among the 40 air quality monitoring stations, the one in Chandni Chowk reported cleaner air with an AQI of 186, while Nehru Nagar and Shadipur recorded the highest pollution levels, with AQIs of 335 and 320, respectively.

Experts attribute the improved air quality to several factors, including a new traffic plan, as well as topographical and meteorological conditions. Chandni Chowk, a popular tourist destination with high footfall, has managed to lower pollution levels to some extent.Read more

Delhi University has ordered a probe after nearly 500 students of the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) failed in an exam that was conducted at and evaluated by Jesus and Mary College.

The college administration also reached out to the Delhi police against a staff member over the alleged discrepancies. However, there was no response from the college authorities and NCWEB regarding the allegations.

Hundreds of affected students joined by DUSU members from ABVP staged a demonstration outside the college on Monday, demanding immediate action. They were seen raising slogans against the college administration and holding posters demanding justice.

According to a Delhi University (DU) official, the college discovered inconsistencies in record-keeping after receiving complaints from first and second-year students that some had been marked "failed", "Essential Repeat" (ER) or "absent" despite attending their exams.

The protesting students claimed they had performed well in their exams and accused the college of unfair practices. They demand that their answer sheets be shown and corrections be made to their results.--PTI

A day after the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) non-political group announced the details of their upcoming ‘Dilli Chalo’ foot march, the Haryana government on Monday invited leaders of the farmer unions to a meeting. The meeting was scheduled for 4.30 pm at the police officers’ institute in Ambala.

Talking to The Indian Express, KMM union leader Guramneet Singh said, “On Sunday evening, we got a phone call in which we were asked to come to Ambala for a meeting, but we insisted that we would go only after a written invite. Hence, Monday afternoon, the office of the Ambala superintendent police sent a written communication to the union leaders of KMM and SKM non-political.”

KMM and SKM (non-political) members have been sitting at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13. They are seeking a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) and 12 other demands.Read more

Haryana former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Monday that the Government should immediately talk to the farmers and accept their demands. " In democracy, everybody has a right to say his thing. The government should find a solution by way of dialogue. If anybody violates law, legal action should be taken. But, if they (farmers) are not violating any law and order and holding a peaceful march, there should be no objection to that. The responsibility of giving a legal guarantee for MSP is of the Union government," he said.

Talking about the barricading imposed on various national highways to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi, Hooda said, “It is not that they (the government) has done the barricading today. They have been barricading for many days now. The GT road is yet not fully open.”

Massive traffic snarls caused inconvenience to commuters crossing the Delhi-Noida border on Monday as police set up multiple barricades in view of the farmers' protest march towards the national capital.

A senior police officer said checking was underway at the borders and drones were being used for surveillance.

Additional Commissioner of Police (east) Sagar Singh Kalsi said, "We have made adequate arrangements in east Delhi borders and have taken all precautionary measures, including anti-riot equipment. We are using drones for vigilance and are also coordinating with traffic police for smooth vehicular movement in the area." Aprajita Singh, a resident of Greater Noida, said the barricades put up at the Chilla border were causing major inconvenience to commuters.

"It took me about an hour to get through that stretch. The police set up barricades on both sides of the Delhi-Noida border, causing significant traffic congestion, especially on the carriageway heading from Noida to Delhi," she said.--PTI

Asserting that issues related to farmers should be resolved at the earliest, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday that “how can we sleep when the problems of farmers are not being solved quickly?”

In his address at an event to mark the 138th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap at Bharat Mandapam, Dhankhar said, “The problems of the farmers should be resolved at a fast pace. If the farmers are in trouble, it is a great loss to the country’s pride and this happens mostly because we keep our voice to ourselves. Today, on this auspicious day, I express my resolve that my doors are open for the farmers. By doing this, I will help in giving a new dimension to freedom… the soul of Raja Mahendra Pratap will get peace.”

“Whatever has happened is past but the path ahead should be right… passage to Viksit Bharat is through the farmland,” Dhankhar said.

“We have exponential economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructural growth… our global image is very high but as I said, to attain the status of a developed nation by 2047, the precondition is that our farmers have to be satisfied,” he added.

Dhankhar’s remarks come at a time when farmer leaders from Punjab have announced to launch a protest march towards Delhi from December 6. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been protesting at Shambhu border since February this year.

Staying firm in their ‘Dilli Chalo’ call, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political) have announced their plans to march on foot towards Delhi starting December 6. The 235-km march will begin from the Shambhu border in the Rajpura constituency of the Patiala district in Punjab. According to KMM and SKM (non-political) leaders, groups led by senior leaders will walk daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, the coordinator of KMM, stated after a meeting of both forums at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh, “Recently, Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and Haryana’s Agriculture Minister have indicated that farmers can walk to Delhi. Both the Haryana and the Union governments should uphold their commitments.”

“Our contingents will begin their journey from Shambhu on December 6 at around noon. On the following days, we will continue our ‘paidal yatra’ from 9 am to 5 pm. The first group departing from the Shambhu Border will be led by farmer leaders Satnam Singh Pannu, Swinder Singh Chhatala, Surjit Singh Phool, and Baljinder Singh Chandiwala. We are confident that the residents of Haryana will make adequate arrangements for our food and accommodation along the way.”

KMM and SKM (non-political) members have been sitting at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, and on Sunday, their dharna entered its 293rd day. They are seeking a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP), along with 12 other demands.

Pandher said that after starting from Shambhu, the first stop will be at Jaggi City Center in Ambala on December 6 itself and the next day, the morcha will stop overnight at Mohra in Ambala, followed by Khanpur Jatta, and Pipli in the coming days.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of farmers' demands, to persuade the protesting farmers not to obstruct highways and cause inconvenience to people.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Dallewal, who was removed from the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border on November 26.

"We have seen that he has been released and he even persuaded a fellow protestor to end his fast-unto-death protest on Saturday," the bench said, adding that the issue raised by the farmers has been noted by the court and is considered in a pending matter.

"In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people. You all know that the Khanauri border is a lifeline for Punjab. We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong," the bench told advocate Guninder Kaur Gill, appearing on behalf of Dallewal.

Justice Kant said that Dallewal could persuade the protestors to organise peaceful protests under the law and without causing any inconvenience to people.

The bench said that at this stage, it was not entertaining Dallewal's petition but he could approach later.

Hours before beginning his fast-unto-death on November 26, Dallewal was allegedly forcibly removed from the Khanauri border and taken to a hospital in Ludhiana. He was discharged on Friday evening.

The plea was moved in the apex court on November 29 challenging his alleged illegal detention by the Punjab Police.

On November 30, a day after he was released, Dallewal joined the fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of the farmers' demands.

Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

The protesters have accused the Centre of not taking steps to address their demands, claiming that it has not held any talks with them on their issues since February 18.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21. - PTI

A 3-tier security plan has been put into effect and security forces have been deployed in parts of Noida-Delhi ahead of the farmers 'Delhi Chalo' protest march, said an official on Monday.

According to the Shivhari Meena, Addl. Commissioner Of Police Noida, " We are in constant talks with farmers regarding the 'Delhi Chalo' march. Yesterday also we spoke to them for 3 hours. We have also prepared a 3-tier security plan...around 5,000 Police personnel are conducting checking at various locations...we have also issued traffic advisory...around 1000 PSC personnel have also been deployed, there are arrangements of water cannons..." The Police say they are constantly communicating with the farmers, and also seeing to the traffic management. A traffic advisory has also been issued so that security arrangements are maintained. Around 5,000 police officials and 1,000 PSC workers have been deployed, and water cannon, TGS squad, fire squad and others have been deployed for emergency and traffic management.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has reached out to farmers, urging them to resolve their issues through dialogue.

In his address on Sunday, marking the 138th birth anniversary of Raja Mahendra Pratap, VP Dhankhar said, "We must remember that we don't fight with our own, we don't deceive our own. Deception is for the enemy, while our own are to be embraced. How can one sleep peacefully when farmers' issues are not being resolved swiftly? I am pleased that Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan has already held discussions, and we are actively working on it. I appeal to my farmer brothers to to my farmer brothers to understand that in this country, issues are resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding." Earlier this morning, Noida Police, expecting disruptions from a farmers' protest march heading towards Delhi beefed up security and conducted vehicle inspections after issuing comprehensive traffic advisories.

The protest, organized by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) along with other farmer groups, is being held to demand compensation and benefits related to agricultural reforms, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The Chilla Border in Noida showed long queues of vehicles stuck in traffic. The traffic congestion came after police held security checks on roads ahead of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march.

The Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), along with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other farmer organizations earlier announced that they will be marching towards Delhi on Monday to demand compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws.

The first group, led by BKP leader Sukhbir Khalifa, will begin their march from under the Maha Maya flyover in Noida at noon on December 2.

(With ANI inputs)

The Noida Police, expecting disruptions from a farmers' protest march heading towards Delhi, has beefed up security and conducted vehicle inspections after issuing comprehensive traffic advisories on Monday.

The protest, organized by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) along with other farmer groups, is being held to demand compensation and benefits related to agricultural reforms, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Visuals from the Chilla Border in Noida show long queues of vehicles stuck in traffic.

The traffic congestion comes after police held security checks on roads ahead of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march.

The Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), along with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other farmer organizations earlier announced that they will be marching towards Delhi on Monday to demand compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws.

The first group, led by BKP leader Sukhbir Khalifa, will begin their march from under the Maha Maya flyover in Noida at noon on December 2.

The Delhi-Noida Police are busy conducting stringent checks at all borders, with barriers set up to monitor the flow of traffic.

To prevent bottlenecks and ensure safety, traffic diversions and restrictions have been put in place.

Earlier in October, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandhair had informed that the farmers sitting in protest at the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) would march towards Delhi on December 6 to press their demands including a guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Farmers from Uttar Pradesh are set to protest march from Noida to the Parliament complex in Delhi, where the Winter Session is underway, to press their five key demands for compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws.

The upcoming protest has prompted the police to scale up security measures and divert routes in Delhi-NCR.

(With ANI inputs)

The farmers’ protest that began on November 25 saw nearly 20,000 farmers join by November 28. Farmers, under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other farmer groups, shifted their ongoing protest from outside the office of the Greater Noida authority to outside the office of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in Omega.

They demand the allocation of 10 per cent developed plots for farmers displaced by land acquisition, implementation of new legal benefits, and the adoption of recommendations by a state committee for farmer welfare. The farmers then stated that if their demands were not met, they would march to Delhi on Monday.

Delhi Farmers Protest Live Updates: The traffic system on the DND toll road was inspected by him and necessary instructions were given to the concerned for smooth traffic movement - Noida traffic authorities

Delhi Farmers Protest Live Updates: The traffic system was inspected at JP Cut (Noida-Greater Noida Expressway) and necessary guidelines were given to the concerned for smooth traffic movement. - Noida traffic authorities

Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), a farmers organisation led by Sukhbir Khalifa, will commence their march towards Delhi today to demand compensation and benefits under the new agricultural laws.

“We are ready for our march towards Delhi. Tomorrow, on December 2, we will start our march towards Delhi from under the Maha Maya flyover (In Noida). At noon, all of us will reach there and demand our compensation and benefits as per the new laws,” Sukhbir Khalifa told ANI.

In addition, other farmer organisations, including the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM, non-political), have planned their marches towards Delhi on foot starting from December 6.

Earlier, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandhair informed that the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) will also march towards Delhi on December 6 to press their demands, including a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP).

On October 26, farmers gathered in large numbers from Badhrukha in Sangrur district to protest against the government and press on their multiple demands including timely paddy procurement. These protests resulted in the blocking of national highways in the Phagwara, Sangrur, Moga, and Batala areas of Punjab.

Meanwhile, Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyan Singh Rana criticised the upcoming farmer’s march to Delhi, arguing that they lack legitimate issues.

“They have no issues. The previous farmers’ agitation had an issue- the three farm laws. Those three laws were later repealed by PM Narendra Modi and he even apologised to them. The farmers’ agitation has caused losses to Punjab,” Shyan Singh Rana told reporters in Karnal.

“Rice miller industries from Punjab moved to Bihar and Madhya Pradesh… We will not let anyone play with the law and order situation in Haryana… They should talk to their Chief Minister and sort out their problems,” he added.

(With ANI inputs)

To minimize traffic disruptions for the public traveling between Gautam Buddha Nagar and Delhi amid farmers’ protest, the authorities advised using the metro service whenever possible.

Furthermore, a ban will be imposed on all types of goods vehicles traveling from Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, as well as from Sirsa to Surajpur via Parichowk.

Drivers are advised to utilise alternative routes to reach their destinations and avoid traffic congestion.

📍Vehicles going from Chilla Border towards Greater Noida will be able to reach their destination via Sector 14A Palai Ober, Golchakkar Chowk Sector 15, Sandeep Paper Mill Chowk, Jhundpura Chowk.

📍Vehicles going to Delhi from DND Border will be able to reach their destination using the elevated route via Film City Flyover via Sector 18.

📍Vehicles coming from Kalindi Border, Delhi will be able to reach their destination via Mahamaya Palai Over via Sector 37.

📍Vehicles going from Greater Noida towards Delhi can reach their destination via Charkha roundabout and Kalindi Kunj.

📍Vehicles going from Greater Noida towards Delhi will be able to go towards their destination via Hajipur underpass towards Kalindi Kunj and from Sector 51 to Sector 60 via Godel Town.

📍Traffic going to Delhi using Yamuna Expressway will be able to descend from Jewar toll towards Khujon and reach its destination via Jahangirpur

📍Traffic coming from Peripheral Expressway to Delhi via Sirsa, Parichik will be able to reach its destination via Dadri, Dasna instead of getting down at Sirsa.