Farmers' protest turns violent
A large number of farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices, were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Tuesday.
The protesters clashed with police and resorted to stone pelting after which the police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them.
The farmers, riding tractors and trolleys, broke barricades of the UP Police and then started proceeding towards the barricades put up by the Delhi Police, a senior police officer said.
Police had to use water cannons to disperse the protestors, who also indulged in sloganeering. Tear gas was also used to disperse the crowd.
The police action led to several injuries while one of the protestors lost consciousness, said an agitating farmer. They also claimed that the policemen baton-charged to disperse the protestors.
The farmers, who were marching to Delhi from Haridwar under the banner of Kisan Kranti Yatra demanding complete loan waiver and reduction in electricity tariff among other, were stopped by police at the border near Ghaziabad.
The city police had on Monday imposed prohibitory orders in east and northeast Delhi, anticipating law and order problems as thousands of BKU members are on a march from Haridwar to reach the national capital Tuesday.
In east Delhi, the prohibitory orders issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pankaj Singh under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, will be in force until October 8.
It covers Preet Vihar, Jagatpuri, Shakarpur, Madhu Vihar, Ghazipur, Mayur Vihar, Mandawli, Pandav Nagar, Kalyanpuri and New Ashok Nagar police station limits.
In northeast Delhi, the prohibitory orders were issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Atul Kumar Thakur and will be in force till October 4.
The protesters started their 10-day march from Haridwar lead by the Bharatiya Kisan Union and on Tuesday they reached the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border.
In view of the protest, heavy security forces were deployed at the border area and section 144 was also imposed in the several areas of the national capital.
Watch: Farmers' delegation meets Rajnath Singh at his residence
