Barricades, nails & cranes at borders: Delhi Police gear up for farmers’ protest

The Delhi police have started making arrangements, announcing several diversions for Monday and Tuesday and placing the whole of the North East district under prohibitory orders, even as farmer unions, who have called for a protest march to Delhi on Tuesday, said they would take a final decision on whether to go ahead only after meeting Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, along with Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State Nityanand Rai in Chandigarh on Monday.

The Delhi Police (Northeast district) on Sunday invoked CrPC Section 144, primarily prohibiting the gathering of people at the borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas — under the jurisdiction of Northeast Delhi — to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order, said officers.

Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, meanwhile, visited parts of the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to assess the situation, and have security preparedness in place.

Joy Tirkey, deputy commissioner of police (Northeast) said that entry of protesters on tractors, trolleys, trucks, buses, commercial vehicles, personal vehicles, and horses among others from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi are prohibited.

“…The Northeast district police shall make all efforts to prevent protestors from entering Delhi… No person/protester shall be allowed to carry arms including firearms, swords, trishul, spears, lathi, rods, etc. from the Northeast district. Police shall make all efforts to detain these people at the spot,” read the order.

The DCP also said that any person found in contravention to this order — effective for 30 days, starting Sunday — shall be liable to be punished under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 188.

Possible diversions

A Delhi traffic police advisory, meanwhile, said that restrictions will be in place for commercial vehicles at the Singhu border on Monday (February 12), and for all vehicles from Tuesday.

Inter-state buses travelling towards Sonipat, Panipat, and Karnal among others through National Highway 44 will take routes from ISBT to Majnu ka Tilla to Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk to Loni Border to KMP via Khekra.

Traffic officers said that HGV vehicles travelling towards Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal and other places through NH-44 are suggested to take Exit number 2 on NH-44 (DSIIDC) cut to Harish Chander Hospital crossing to Bawana Road crossing to Bawana Chowk to Auchandi Road reaching Auchandi border to KMP to Saidpur Chowki. Cars and LGVs travelling towards Sonipat, Panipat, and Karnal among others through NH-44 are suggested to take Exit 1 (NH-44) Alipur cut to Shani Mandir to Palla Bakhtawarpur Road Y-point to Dahisara village road’s two-lane stretch to MCD toll (Dahisara) to Jatti Kalan Road to Singhu to Singhu stadium to PS Kundali reaching NH-44 towards Sonipat in Haryana.

Traffic from Delhi to Ghaziabad through Ghazipur border is likely to take Pushta Road to the front of Akshardham temple or Patparganj Road/Mother Dairy Road. Vehicular movement towards Haryana through NH-44 may use or divert to Dabur Chowk, Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur Road, GT Road, Delhi Meerut Expressway, and Dasna.

According to the traffic advisory, for diversions around the Tikri border, heavy commercial vehicles and trucks travelling towards Bahadurgarh, and Rohtak, among others through the Rohtak Road are advised to use Najafgarh Nangloi Road from Nangloi Chowk to enter Haryana through Najafgarh Jharoda border.