Security barricades at Delhi-UP Ghazipur border during farmers protest over farm laws. (FILE)
The road connecting Delhi with Ghaziabad via Ghazipur has been reopened for the vehicular movement. The road was closed for vehicular traffic since January 26 when violence unleashed on Delhi roads during the tractor parade by farmers. The closure of the route led to traffic snarls in nearby roads as the public had to take alternative routes.
The one side of the road which goes towards Ghaziabad from Delhi was opened for traffic in the morning, a senior police officer said. The other side of the road is still closed, he added.
Police had increased layers of security barricades at Delhi-UP Ghazipur border after the violence. Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for repeal of the three farm laws. Protesters deviated from the designated route for the proposed tractor parade and barged into the Red Fort. They also attacked cops, vandalised police vehicles and the ticket counter at the Red Fort.
Ghazipur is one of the three key sites where farmers are protesting against the Centre's three farm laws. Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi's borders for over three months demanding rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Farmers are opposing the laws, terming them against their interest as it will dismantle the mandi system and the MSP structure. Besides, they believe that the laws will give power to corporates over their lands.
However, the three laws -- enacted in September 2020, have been projected by the Central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. The government has repeatedly assured the farmers that these three laws will not do away with MSP and mandis.
