Haryana Police chalk out plan to counter farmers’ Delhi march on February 13

The Ambala police have issued notices to farmer leaders of various unions warning them not to participate in the protest

Ahead of farmers’ march towards Delhi next week, Haryana Police is all geared to maintain the law and order situations.

In Haryana, farmers from Yamunanagar, Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and some other parts will gather at the Shambhu border. (HT Photo)

The Ambala police have issued notices to farmer leaders of various unions warning them not to participate in the protest.

In the notice, of which HT has a copy, the administration has also sought details of the bank accounts and properties of the union leaders under the provisions of the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property during Disturbance to Public Order Act, 2021, which provides recovery of damages to properties by seizing bank and properties of the organisers/leaders.

It also warns of participating in the agitation, for which no permission has been sought from the administration, which is mandated under the Haryana Police Act.

The police have also arranged a huge number of metal and concrete barriers, barbed wires, sandbags and other logistics at the Shambhu border on NH-44.

Over 10 unions, mostly from Punjab, under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) will gather at Khanauri on the Sangrur-Jind border and Shambhu on the Patiala-Ambala border on February 13 to march towards the national capital demanding a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) on the crops from the union government.

To spread awareness among the farmers, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) organised multiple tractor marches in Kaithal, Mohali, Patiala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra districts in the first week of this month.

Faction’s spokesperson Tejveer Singh said that they are going village to village and holding meetings, asking the farmers to take part in the march and ensure legal guarantee of MSP.

BKU SBS president Amarjit Singh Mohri said, “The farmers have been asked to be prepared with their tractor with two trolleys loaded with wood, ration and necessary items for stay as they march towards Delhi.”

Senior farm activist from Punjab, Ramandeep Singh Mann said that the agitation is against “wada khilafi” (breach of promise) of the Union government that fooled the farmers in the name of MSP during the repeal of farm laws in 2021.

“This was not an oral announcement, but on paper. They formed a committee on MSP that included members with affiliation to the government or the party; this is the reason why there has been no progress. We are not happy to protest again but we are frustrated,” he told the reporters.

The agitation that comes months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, has not received much support from traditional farm unions in Haryana represented by Gurnam Singh Charuni or Rakesh Tikait.

Even the off-shots of Charuni’s union in Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak or other regions are not enthusiastic about the scheduled march.

In 2020, the Shambhu border was the epicentre of “Haryana-Punjab unity” when the Punjab farmers marching towards Delhi demanding a repeal of farm laws, broke the first police barrier here and joined their fellows from Haryana near the Mohra grain market of Ambala.