Haryana Police asks Punjab Police to seize bulldozers "brought with them by Punjab farmers" as they resume 'Delhi Chalo' march Legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops Protesting farmers are set to resume their march on Wednesday from two places on the Punjab-Haryana border after four rounds of talks with the Center failed over the issue.
In the fourth round of talks with farmer leaders, a committee of three Union ministers on Sunday had proposed that after striking an agreement with farmers, government agencies would buy pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP for five years. However, farmer leaders rejected this proposal.
The farmers are still more than 200 kilometers away from the national capital, but Delhi Police on Tuesday conducted drills to ensure that they do not cross the barriers put up to prevent them from entering the national capital.
Thousands of farmers started marching towards Delhi on 13 February. These farmers were stopped at the Haryana border, where they had a clash with the security personnel. Farmers have since been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders on Punjab's border with Haryana.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday verbally asked the Punjab government not to allow farmers to gather in large numbers.
The court said that according to the Motor Vehicles Act, tractor-trolleys cannot be driven on highways. She said that farmers can go to Delhi using buses or public transport.
The protesters are trying to put pressure on the Center with their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. A large number of security personnel are deployed to stop them from marching to Delhi.
The bench also asked the Central government to file a status report by way of an affidavit providing details about the outcomes of the meetings held between farmer leaders and the committee of Union ministers.
The High Court is hearing two petitions. In one of these petitions, instructions have been requested to stop all actions of the governments of Haryana and Punjab and the Center against the farmers' protest. Whereas, in the second petition, directions have been sought to ensure that no highway is blocked by the protesters and action should be taken against them if they do so. The next hearing in this case will be held next week.
Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujit Kapoor has written a letter to his Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav asking the Punjab Police to seize bulldozers and earth-digging equipment that were "causing damage to the farmer blockades camped at the two border points." Brought to deliver.
He said such equipment could pose a threat to security forces and their owners should be issued a strict warning if they provide such equipment to the protesting farmers as it would be "a criminal act".
The Haryana government extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till Wednesday given the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' movement. Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts have been affected. The government had earlier extended the period of suspension of mobile internet services on February 13, 15 and 17.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Tuesday that the Center should call a one-day Parliament session to bring a law on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. He also asked the Center to accept other major demands of farmers including farm loan waiver. Farmer leaders have said that the Centre's proposal is not in favor of the farmers.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the 'Delhi Chalo' march.
Pandher, representing the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, told reporters on Tuesday at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, “We demand that a law should be brought to guarantee MSP. If the Prime Minister has the will, a one-day session of Parliament can be called. No opposition party will oppose it.”
He said, “I demand that all opposition parties make their stand clear that if the Center brings a law on MSP, they will vote for it. Be it Shiromani Akali Dal or Congress – they should make their stand clear. Trinamool Congress and other parties should also clarify their stand.
Pandher said farmers have three big demands – legal guarantee on MSP for all crops, implementation of the ‘C2 plus 50 percent’ formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, and loan waiver. Pandher said that in the meeting with the Union Ministers, the farmers proposed that a special session of Parliament should be called and a law should be made on MSP.
On the issue of loan waiver, he said that according to the government report, farmers have a total debt of Rs 18.5 lakh crore. He requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce that farm loans would be waived. He said that a mechanism for this can be prepared later.
Pandher said, “BJP claims that the current Prime Minister is strong. If he announces a loan waiver of 80 crore farmers and farm laborers, it will confirm the BJP's claim that he is indeed a strong Prime Minister.
Responding to a question on the 'Dilli Chalo' march, the farmer leader said, "We stand by our announcement (of going to Delhi on Wednesday)." Whereas, in response to another question, he said that the Center is not supporting the farmers. No demand has been accepted.
On the issue of the death of two farmers during the protest, Pandher said that the Punjab government should announce a policy in this regard. He demanded compensation for the families of the deceased and a job for one member of the family.
A 72-year-old farmer, who was part of the protest at Khanauri border, died of a heart attack on Sunday. Earlier, a 63-year-old farmer had also died due to the same reason at the Shambhu border.
A day before the proposed Delhi march of protesting farmers, Delhi Police on Tuesday directed security personnel deployed at Tikri, Singhu, and Ghazipur borders to remain alert and conducted a drill on Tuesday. Delhi Police officials said that the security personnel deployed on these three borders have been asked to remain alert on Tuesday. He said that passengers may face problems.
The two border crossings between Delhi and Haryana - Tikri and Singhu - have been sealed with heavy deployment of police personnel and multiple tiers of concrete and iron spike barriers have been installed. An official said that if necessary, the Ghazipur border can also be closed on Wednesday.
Sources said that the government has ordered to temporarily 'block' about 177 social media accounts and web links related to the farmers' protest. He said that these orders were issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at the request of the Home Ministry on February 14 and 19 under Section 69A of the IT (Information Technology) Act.
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