Security personnel and farmers clash as protestors attempt to cross Singhu Border during Delhi Chalo march against the new farm laws, in New Delhi.
Farmers' Delhi Chalo March: After two days of clashes at the Haryana border, the Delhi Police on Friday allowed thousands of farmers to enter the national capital to hold planned protest against the new farm laws. The police had to use water cannons and teargas in the morning today against the farmers who defied barricades to march towards Delhi. The Delhi Police used tear gas shells to disperse a group of farmers who had reached the Singhu border as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march. The shells were fired at the border point at Narela which connects Delhi with Haryana. Punjab farmers, representing over 30 farm bodies, have announced they will enter Delhi through several routes -- Lalru, Shambhu, Patiala-Pehowa, Patran-Khanauri, Moonak-Tohana, Ratia-Fatehabad and Talwandi-Sirsa. Traffic was also diverted at several places along the national capital's border in view of the protest.
Farmers Protest - Highlights:
6:41 PM: Union Agriculture Minister invites farmers for talks on December 3, appeals them to end protest.
"The government has always been ready to discuss issues with farmers. We have invited farmers' organizations for another round of talks on 3rd December. I appeal to them to leave agitation in view of COVID-19 and winter," says Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
6:36 PM: Delhi government officials have reached Nirankari Samagam Ground, Burari to review arrangements for farmers' ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest. "We've come here to deploy water tankers for farmers. The AAP government stands by farmers. Arvind Kejriwal-led govt will take care of them," AAP leader Raghav Chaddha
5:23 PM: Haryana Police remove barricades at Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab, near Ambala as farmers have been allowed to enter Delhi. "Nobody will be stopped, commuters can travel with ease," says Rajesh Kalia, Ambala SP.
4:42 PM: The Central government is always ready for talks. I appeal to all farmers to directly talk to the Centre for all their legitimate issues, tweets Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
4:08 PM: Traffic congestion at Delhi-Gurugram border due to checking of vehicles by police, in view of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march.
3 PM: Amarinder Singh welcomes Centre's decision to allow farmers enter Delhi
Farmers Protest Live: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has welcomed the Centre’s decision to allow farmers to enter Delhi to exercise their democratic right to protest. "They should also now initiate immediate talks to address farmers' concerns on the farm laws and resolve the simmering issue," he tweeted.
2:55 PM: Protesting farmers allowed to enter Delhi
Farmers Protest LIVE: Delhi Police appeals to the farmers to maintain order and demonstrate peacefully. Police confirmed that the protesting farmers will be allowed to enter the national capital and they will have the permission to protest at the Nirankari Samagam Ground in the Burari. "After discussion with farmer leaders, Delhi Police has allowed farmers to protest peacefully at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari. We appeal to them to maintain peace in order to avoid any inconvenience to others," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal
2:50 PM: Khattar appeals for calm, says ready for talks
Haryana chief minister ML Khattar appealed for calm and peace. In a tweet, he said that the government is ready for talks with the Kisan Unions.
2:40 PM: Farmers allowed entry into Delhi, claim Punjab farm bodies
Punjab farmers' bodies protesting against the Centre's farm laws on Friday claimed that the Union government has allowed them entry into Delhi with permission to hold their agitation at the Burari ground. "We have been allowed safe passage to Delhi," claimed Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal. He said that officials of the Union home ministry had allowed them a place at Burari in Delhi to hold the agitation.
Farmers' protest: PM Modi should also implement 'one nation, one treatment', says Priyanka Vadra
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over attempts to stop farmers from marching to Delhi over farm laws, saying the prime minister who is worried about 'one nation, one election' should also implement 'one nation, one treatment'. Her attack on the prime minister came a day after Modi advocated 'one nation, one election' system and a single voters' list, saying polls taking place every few months hinders development.
2:25 PM: Farmers' protest: Stone pelting at Delhi-Haryana Singhu border, police uses tear gas shells to disperse agitators, news agency PTI has reported.
2:20 PM: Haryana with farmers, tweets Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has appealed to the people of state to make arrangements (food, water and others) for agitating farmers. "We are with the farmers," he tweeted in Hindi.
2 PM: Tear gas shells fired at Singhu border
Farmers’ protest LIVE: Haryana Police use tear gas to try to disperse farmers as they take part in protests against Centre's Farm laws, at the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border)
1:50 PM: Centre begins back channel discussions with Kisan Unions
Farmers protest LIVE: The government has began back channel discussions with protesting farmers over the three farm laws. Defence minister Rajnath Singh is holding talks with Kisan Unions
1:35 PM: Door for talks always open, says Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said that the government is always ready for talks with farmers. Speaking to India TV, Naqvi also accused the Congress of misleading the farmers. He said that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and has taken several measures since 2014 to double their income.
1:30 PM: Situation getting out of hand, hold talks immediately: Amarinder Singh tells Centre
Amid the farmers-police face-off over the 'Delhi Chalo' protest over farm laws, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said the voice of farmers cannot be "muzzled" and asked the BJP-led Centre to hold talks immediately with peasants to defuse the situation. Singh questioned as to why the Centre was waiting for December 3 for holding talks with farmers when the situation is “getting out of control now”.
1:15 PM: Heavy police deployment at NH-24, DND
Farmers protest in Delhi LIVE: In order to prevent farmers from entering Delhi, police deployment has also been made at NH-24, DND, Chilla Border, Tigri border, Bahadurgarh border, Faridabad border and Kalindi Kunj border.
1 PM: Delhi govt turns down police request
Farmers Protest LIVE: Delhi government has rejected the request of Delhi Police seeking to convert nine stadiums into temporary prisons, in view of farmers protest.
12:40 PM: Police use water cannon, teargas shells at Shambu border
Farmers protest Live: Water cannon and tear gas shells used to disperse protesting farmers at Shambu border, near Ambala
12:35 PM: Farmers groups, including women, head towards Delhi
Haryana: Farmers groups, including women, head towards Delhi while protesting & raising slogans on the main highway in Sirsa.
12:25 PM: Amarinder Singh urges Centre to immediately initiate talks
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the Centre to immediately initiate talks with Kisan Unions to defuse the tense situation at the Delhi borders.
12:10 PM: Traffic diverted at several places in Delhi
Traffic has been diverted at several places along the national capital's border in view of the protest. Checking of vehicles has also been intensified at the Delhi-Gurgaon border leading to heavy traffic jams. CISF personnel have also been deployed on the Delhi-Gurgaon border.
11:55 AM: Farmers jump barricades in Sirsa
Protesting farmers jump barricades in Sirsa, say they are going to Delhi for their rights.
Farmers protest: AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj reacts to police's demand
AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj has reacted to the Delhi Police's demand to convert 9 stadiums into temporary prisons. "I think it's a most inhuman thing we can do to our farmers. Delhi Police should stop calling themselves," he tweeted.
Farmers Protest LIVE: Police, protesters face off
11:15 AM: Farmers Protest LIVE: Tikri Border completely closed for traffic
The Delhi Traffic Police said in a tweet that Tikri Border is completely closed for traffic movement by local police. Traffic intending to go towards Haryana is also closed. All motorists are advised to avoid this route in view of the protest by Kishan Sangharsh committee.
Farmers protest LIVE: Heavy security deployment, tear gas used as farmers headed for Delhi protest at Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border).
10:55 AM: Delhi Metro services partially hit
Farmers Protest Live: Entry & exit gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan and Ghevra metro stations on Green Line are now closed: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
10:45 AM: Cops resort to baton charge at Tikri border
Delhi Police resort to baton charge to disperse crowd at Tikri border as farmers reach here after breaking police barricades in Haryana as part of their protest march against farm laws.
10:30 AM: Police fire teargas at Delhi's Tikri border
Farmers protest Live: Police fire teargas at Delhi's Tikri border as farmers gathere here as a part of the Delhi Chalo march. Meanwhile, traffic police alerted commuters that both the carriageways of the Tikri border have been closed and motorists could neither enter Delhi, nor go out.
10:20 AM: Farmers prepare in Amritsar for tractor rally
Members of Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee prepare in Amritsar for their tractor rally towards Delhi by stocking up essentials in trolleys.
10 AM: Police seek permission to use stadiums as temporary jails
Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Thursday asked the Arvind Kejriwal government for permission to use 9 stadiums as temporary jails for farmers expected to be arrested during protests.
9:35 AM: Groups of farmers from Punjab reach near Delhi borders
Despite heavy security deployment, groups of farmers from Punjab managed to reach near two Delhi borders on Friday morning after breaking police barricades in Haryana as part of their protest march against the Centre's farm laws.
9 AM: Heavy police deployment at Delhi borders
Farmers Protest Live: The Delhi Police had on Thursday enhanced deployment of security personnel, stationed sand-laden trucks and water cannons and used barbed wire for fencing at the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) to prevent the protesters from entering the city.Police were also deployed on Delhi's border with Faridabad and Gurgaon.
Farmers lay siege on Haryana highway on way to Delhi
Earlier on Thursday, several protesters and policemen were injured as farmers broke barricades and threw them down from a bridge ahead of the Punjab-Haryana border in Shambhu in Punjab's Patiala and near Haryana's Ambala. Bracing overnight rains and chilly winds, thousands of protesting farmers assembled at various places along the Haryana-Punjab borders on Thursday morning to head towards the national capital for their 'Dilli Chalo' protest, but were stopped by the Haryana Police. Thousands of farmers had been staging sit-in protests ahead of the Dabwali barrier between Punjab's Bathinda and Haryana's Sirsa districts and at Khanauri border in Sangrur district, awaiting the decision by their leaders to move towards Delhi. While activists of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta-Ugrahan and Sidhupur factions had been camping on the border at Khanauri and Moonak, respectively, since Wednesday evening, other farmer unions changed their plans and decided to head for Delhi from other entry points, like Shambhu.
Centre invites farmers for talks
In another related development, the Centre has invited farmers for more talks on the new three farm laws. Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Defence minister Rajnath Singh appealed for calm and invited them for talks.
Tomar said that the government was ready to talk about issues and resolve differences. "I want to appeal to our farmer brothers to not agitate. I am sire that our dialogue will have a positive result," he told reporters.
Rajnath Singh also asks farmers not to protest. Singh said that he was the son of a farmer himself, and that the government couldn't betray farmers. "I appeal to them that end your protests, I invite them for discussions," he said.
Appealing to the agitating farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "Will leave politics if there's trouble on MSP (minimum support price)." He also blamed his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh for "inciting the farmers".
Reacting to his accusations, Amarinder Singh replied on Twitter: "Shocked at your response. It's the farmers who've to be convinced on MSP, not me. You should've tried to talk to them before their 'Dilli Chalo'. And if you think I'm inciting farmers then why are Haryana farmers also marching to Delhi?"
Rapid Action Force deployed
A huge contingent of police comprising the Rapid Action Force had been deployed at all entry points in Haryana, while residents of several towns located along the Punjab-Haryana border faced a harrowing time due to the heavy deployment of the security forces and snapping of the bus services in the past 24 hours.
Unfazed by the heavy security deployment and barricading on the highway with mounds of earth and huge rocks, protesting farmer Gurdev Singh told the media at the Shambhu border that "We will break all the barricades if we were not allowed to move ahead."
Farmers said they were ready to face bullets also. Despite the use of water cannons and tear gas, the protesting farmers, comprising men and women -- both young and old -- and school and college students riding tractor-trailers, cars and motorcycles, managed to enter Haryana from Shambhu.
Angry farmers threw stones at security forces deployed to control the crowd at the Shambhu border. They were later joined by thousands of their counterparts from Haryana. As they reached Kurukshetra district, the local farmers joined them.
As per the police estimates, around 300,000 farmers from both states are set to reach Delhi.
The farmers affiliated to 33 organisations are part of the United Farmers Front, an all-India body of over 470 farmers' unions that will participate in the indefinite protest in the national capital.
Sukhbir Badal condemns police action against farmers
Meanwhile, SD leader and former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has condemned the use of water cannon and tear gas against the agitating farmers.
"Today is Punjab's 26/11. We are witnessing the end of the right to democratic protest. The Akali Dal condemns the Haryana government the Centre for choosing to repress the peaceful farmer movement," he said, adding that the battle for the rights of Punjab farmers cannot be throttled by using water cannons against them.
Police step up vigil at Delhi borders
The Delhi Police has already asked the farmers not to enter Delhi as they don't have permission to protest in the city.
Farmers protesting against the farm laws have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporate entities.
