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Haryana Police use tear gas, water cannons but fail to stop Punjab farmers from entering state
Farmers break through multi-layer barricades at Shambu barrier on Punjab-Haryana border and head for Delhi
Punjab farmers braved tear gas and water cannons to break through multi-layered barricades put up by Haryana Police at Shambu barrier, bordering Ambala and Patiala districts, on Thursday afternoon and proceeded on their Delhi Chalo march to protest the Centre’s farm laws.
The Haryana Police used water cannons to disperse the farmers, who had gathered in large numbers in tractor-trolleys, when they started removing the concrete barricades. But when that did not deter the defiant farmers, they used tear gas. Though it delayed the crossing over, the farmers were determined to continue their march to the national capital.
Amid the tension on the inter-state border, the elderly farmers stayed put in the tractor-trolleys, while youngsters bore the brunt of the police action.
HARYANA ACTING AT CENTRE’S BEHEST: FARMERS
“We are going for a peaceful protest but the police are not allowing us to reach Delhi. The Haryana government must understand that this is not a protest against them but against the central government. The Haryana Government is stopping us at the behest of the Centre,” farmer leader Baldev Singh Nihalgarh said.
“We are not opting for only the Shambu barrier, but are targeting all entry points. Some farmers have already entered Haryana by foot. Our aim is to reach Delhi,” he said.
The Haryana Police sealed all entry points from Punjab to stop the entry of farmers, who have announced the protest march against the Centre on November 26 and 27.
Earlier, farmers at Ajimgarh village on the Kaithal border broke the police barricading and managed to enter Haryana to reach Delhi.
Police barricading was in place at Ramnagar on the Gulha-Cheeka border and on the Patiala-Pehowa road.
