Chaos at Shambhu border as farmers attempt to breach barricades, police fire tear gas

Ambala (Haryana), Feb 13: The Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border witnessed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as the protesting farmers marching towards Delhi attempted to break police barricades. Farmers were seen attempting to remove the cement barricade with their tractors as they tried to cross the Shambhu border.

The police fired tear gas to disperse the protestors at Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border as they tried to breach the mutli-layered barricades.

The police have deployed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, police and paramilitary personnel at Kurukshetra in Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers.

On security deployment at the Jharoda border, DCP Dwarka Ankit Singh said, "Section 144 CrPC is imposed in the city, tractor trolleys are not allowed in the city. Social media monitoring has also been done. Drone is an effective tool for security monitoring, we will use it."

Earlier in the day, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said that all efforts were made in the meeting to find a solution to avoid a confrontation with the government adding that they anticipated a positive result.

Union Minister Arjun Munda, in response to the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, emphasized the necessity of time and deliberation to address the concerns raised by the farming community. "We care about the interests of the farmers. It is not our concern if someone is doing politics over this issue. We have always been ready for talks and discussions and we are ready to do everything possible to find a solution to this issue."

Arjun Munda is among the team of ministers holding talks with the farmer leaders that also includes Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, MoS Nityanand Rai and Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi.

The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices after which they ended the 2021 protest.

They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report.

They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.

The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.

Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.

An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) linking it with farming has also been made by the farmers.

Also, a demand to provide compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member has been put in place.