New Delhi:

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesting farmers at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border. Reportedly, 6 farmers have been injured and are being taken to a local hospital.

A group of 101 farmers resumed their ‘Delhi chalo’ foot march at 12 pm on Saturday, pressing the government to fulfill their long-standing demands, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

This is the third time farmers have attempted to march towards the national capital Delhi since December 6. Earlier on December 6 and 8, farmers were stopped by security personnel in Haryana.

Ahead of the foot march today, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages of Ambala till December 17 to prevent the spread of misinformation.

The order applies to the following villages – Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru.

On the sidelines, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border for 19 days now. The Supreme Court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan has directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to meet Mr Dallewal and persuade him to break his fast.

New Delhi:

The Congress on Friday called on the Bharatiya Janata Party to respond proactively to protesting farmers’ demands about a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, or MSP, and warned the government, “Do not allow the farmers of this country to face a situation like Manipur”.

The opposition party also slammed the government for taking the time out to watch a movie – on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of his cabinet, and MPs attended a screening of ‘The Sabarmati Report‘, a movie about the 2002 train-burning incident in Gujarat’s Godhra.

“The Modi government has time to watch movies but does not have time to listen to demands of farmers. Prime Minister Modi should talk to the farmers without delay and immediately pass a law on MSP… this is the demand of the Congress,” party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

“The Congress party is with the farmers,” Mr Surjewala said, also taking the opportunity to throw a jab over the extent of security deployed to stop the farmers and the India-China border crisis

“If the three-layer security which has been put in place for the farmers in Haryana had been put in place on the Chinese border, then China would not have occupied the Indian border,” he said.

The reference to, and warning about, Manipur was stark. Nearly 300 people have been killed since ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur in May 2023.

The Congress and other opposition parties have been fiercely critical of the handling of the crisis by BJP, which is also in power in Manipur, and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue.

The BJP has not yet responded to this round of attacks by the Congress.

The Manipur warning came on a day when a group of 101 farmers began a ‘Dilli chalo’ march to press home a list of nearly five-year-old demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP.

READ | 8 Farmers Injured In Tear Gas Shelling, Protest March Over MSP Halted

The march, from Shambhu on the Haryana-Punjab border, began at 1 pm but ran immediately into fortified, multi-layered police barricades across National Highway 44.

In the clashes that followed, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Eight people were injured, and two others seriously wounded, according to farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Visuals shared by news agency IANS showed chaotic scenes at a police barricade across National Highway 44. In the 73-second video white tear gas smoke enveloped protesting farmers.

Ambala, Haryana: Police fired tear gas shells at the protesters pic.twitter.com/3sCa9haqT5

— IANS (@ians_india) December 6, 2024

As the video pans out, rolls of barbed wire can also be seen and the gassed farmers are seen pulling back. An elderly farmer, affected by the tear gas, is attended to by fellow-protesters.

Beaten back for the day, the farmers said they would not admit defeat but would give the government 24 hours to reach out to them with a proposition to address their concerns.

The farmers – lakhs of whom have been protesting since September 2020, when the Modi government passed three farm law that were severely criticised and later rolled back – also lamented the action taken against them. “Modiji cannot justify the actions against us. We are deeply hurt.”

“If our protest is allowed inside Delhi… I will ask, ‘Why are we treated as enemies?’ Punjabis and Haryanvis saved the country from hunger,” Pandher said.

Shortly before the march began, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told Parliament the Narendra Modi government is committed to purchasing farmers’ produce at MSP.

“I want to assure the House… all produce of farmers will be purchased at Minimum Support Price. This is the Modi government and (we will) fulfil Modiji‘s guarantee,” Mr Chouhan said, also taking the opportunity for a dig at the Congress, referring to his “friends from the other side”.

“…they said, on record, they cannot accept the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations… especially on paying 50 per cent more than cost price,” he said, declaring the government is already buying paddy, wheat, jowar, soyabean at 50 per cent over cost of production from three years ago.

Today’s protest was meant to press home farmers’ longstanding demands for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, waiver of farm loans, and protection from increased electricity tariffs.

NDTV Explains | Centre’s 5-Year MSP Plan, And Why Farmers Are Not Convinced

The demand for legal backing for MSPs – which refers to a priced fixed by the government to protect farmers from a steep fall in crop prices; for example, during a bumper crop when prices plummet – a has been a core ask of protests that began in September 2020.

MSPs, however, have no legal backing, meaning the government is not obliged to buy, for example, 10 per cent of a farmer’s paddy crop at the floor price. And it is this that the farmers want changed.

With input from agencies

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Farmers will march towards the Parliament complex on Monday to press five key demands, leading to increased security and route diversions in the Delhi-NCR regions.

Here are the key developments:

New Delhi:

Protesting farmers will start marching towards Delhi to press their various demands to the central government today. The announcement has prompted the police to increase security at the Punjab and Haryana borders.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the two umbrella bodies that are leading the farmers’ protests, on March 3 gave a call to farmers from across the country to reach the national capital today.

They also called for a four-hour countrywide “rail roko” next week in support of their various demands, which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue the agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states have been asked to reach Delhi today.

Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest

To intensify the agitation, farmer leaders have also called upon the farmers and labourers across the country for the ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10.

They have announced a countrywide ‘rail roko’ protest from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation, has also announced a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14.

The SKM said that over 400 farmers’ outfits will participate in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Delhi Police Step Up Vigil

The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders in view of the farmers’ protest.

Additional police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.

The police said checking will be intensified at various locations and that there may be traffic congestion in the capital.

New Delhi:

Ahead of the planned tractor march organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) today, the Noida Police has issued a traffic advisory, warning commuters of potential disruptions and diversions in the Delhi-Noida border region.

The BKU plans to conduct a tractor march along the Yamuna Expressway, stretching from Mehndipur in Rabupura to Falaida. To ensure the safety of the event, the police have implemented prohibitory orders under Section 144 and deployed additional personnel at key entry and exit points of Delhi and Noida.

The farmers’ bodies have planned to take the tractor march through the Yamuna Expressway, Luharli Toll Plaza, and Mahamaya Flyover. 

To manage the anticipated traffic disruptions, the Noida Police has outlined specific measures in their traffic advisory. Vehicles traveling from Chilla border to Delhi can use the Sector 14A flyover via Golchakkar Chowk Sector-15, while those coming from the DND border can use the elevated route via the Film City flyover in Sector 18. Similarly, vehicles from Kalindi border can navigate through Mahamaya flyover via Sector 37.

For commuters using Yamuna Expressway, the advisory suggests using alternative routes and opting for the metro to minimise inconvenience. Goods vehicles on specific routes will face restrictions, and drivers are advised to consider alternative paths to reach their destinations.

The Delhi police yesterday lifted portions of the barriers at the Singhu and Tikri borders as the farmers decided to halt their proposed march towards the national capital.

The SKM has announced to observe ‘Quit WTO Day’ today, demanding that the Centre pressurise developed countries to keep agriculture out of the World Trade Organization discussions.