Pitched battles at Shambhu, Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana

Cops lob tear gas shells, fire rubber bullets, use batons, water cannons as farmers try to break barricades

Farmers faced tear gas shells and baton charge at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders as they tried to break past barricades set up by the Haryana Police to stop them from heading to the national capital. Cops also used drones to drop tear gas shells at the Shambhu border.

Protesting farmers during their 'Delhi Chalo' march on the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border near Ambala on Tuesday. (ANI)

Haryana had already fortified the Shambhu border with multilayers of barricading in place, and as waves of farmers rushed to the border in an attempt to break the barriers, cops hurled tear gas shells, while the protesters resorted to hurling stones. The borders at Khanauri and Dabwali were also similarly fortified with both paramilitary and police forces present.

Moving on tractors from Fatehgarh Sahib and other places, after the talks with the Centre ended in a deadlock on Monday night, the protesters began reaching the three borders — Dabwali, Shambhu and Jind-Khanuari – between 12 noon and 2 pm.

At the Shambhu border, they got down to removing the barricading which brought them into confrontation with the security forces.

The farmers managed to remove the first layer of barricading — the cement moulders — with the help of high-house powered tractors and later removed barbed wire and iron barricading. But as they got closer, police started using water cannons along with tear gas shells to disperse the farmers.

During the day over two dozen protesters were rushed to the Government Civil Hospital in Rajpura, as per farm leaders, who also alleged that police also fired rubber bullets at them, a claim also confirmed by a Haryana official, who didn’t wish to be named.

Many of the protesters dispersed into the fields adjoining the highway, to circumvent the roadblock but tear gas shells lobbed by the cops enveloped the entire area. Protesters were seen covering fallen canisters with jute bags to contain the tear smoke. A drone was also spotted dropping shells over the protesters at Shambhu.

The protestors removed several large stone blocks, part of the three-layer barricading done by the Haryana to thwart the march. Narrow passage on the two separate lanes of the Ghaggar overbridge gave an advantage to the forces as they were able to hold the protesters for seven hours.

Haryana police spokesperson said tear gas was used after the protesters tried to break the barriers.

Ambala DC Shaleen said due to stone pelting at least 10 cops, including a DSP and two Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, were injured at the Shambhu border. The DC said six of them have been kept under observation at the hospital.

Haryana Police spokesperson and assistant inspector general (AIG) Manisha Chaudhary said that stones were pelted by protesters at the Shambhu border. “Tear gas was used to control the situation. No one will be allowed to create a nuisance. Those doing so will be dealt with strictly. Respect the law and maintain peace,” she said, appealing to the public not to share misleading and inflammatory information on social media as offenders would be dealt with strictly.

In the evening, Haryana police released a statement stating that at least 24 policemen sustained injuries in stone pelting by protesters. As many as 15 police personnel (DSP and other ranks) were injured while on duty at the Shambhu border, and 10 policemen were injured at Data Singh state Border in Jind.

“These policemen are undergoing treatment in nearby health centres”, police said in a statement.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher slammed the police action and attacked the Narendra Modi government for stopping the farmers from marching towards Delhi.

“In the history of India, today is a black day. It is shameful the way the Modi government attacked farmers and farm labourers. Even today, we say we are farmers and labourers of the country, and we do not want any fight,” Pandher said at the Shambhu border. He once again reiterated farmers’ demands for a legal guarantee to the minimum support price and debt waiver.

He further added that the protesters would stay put at the Shambhu barrier, on Tuesday night, and would try to cross the barricade, on Wednesday morning.

Another farmer leader Surjit Singh Phul, said that over 60 protesters received injuries in the police action.

“This shows that farmers are non-violent while the government indulges in violence. Farmers exhibited patience and maintained peace,” he added.

During the day All India Kisan Congress chairman and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira reached the Shambhu border to support the farmers.

Patiala health teams rush to site

Health staff from Patiala was deployed at the protesting site to take care of the injured. As the number of injuries swelled, Patiala Health Department roped in more ambulances to shift patients to the Rajpura Civil Hospital. Private hospitals near the protest site have also been put on alert by the health department.

Baton charge at Khanauri

At Khanauri-Datta Singhwala border in Jind, the situation was similar. Haryana police resorted to lathi-charge on Punjab farmers when they tried to hit the barricades and the agitated farmers also used lathis leaving several, including paramilitary forces personnel, injured.

BKU (Sidhupur) leader Kaka Singh Kotda said that more than 100 tractor-trolleys are parked on the Punjab side near the Khanauri border.

“The Haryana and Punjab borders have been made international borders. The BJP government is trying to divide both states. We are sitting peacefully and we will move forward. The government should accept our demands,” he said and claimed that around 50 farmers —30 from Punjab side and 20 from Jind got injured.

Jind SP Sumit Kumar said that 10 police personnel were injured in the clashes. “The police can’t stop Punjab farmers from entering Haryana. The BJP government is scared of farmers,” said Akshay Narwal, who heads Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Maha Sangaha in Haryana.

As per reports by evening the gathering at the Jind border has swelled with more farmers, who had set out from parts of Punjab in the morning, reaching the site.

Sibash Kabiraj, IGP, Ambala Range said, Punjab farmers are welcome to enter Haryana minus tractors.

“The farmers coming from Punjab can enter Haryana, but if they travel on tractors it will create problems for the people of the state. They can travel on buses, trains or on foot. If they come on tractors, we will not allow them,” he said.

The situation at the Dabwali border was largely peaceful.

As per reports, nearly 400 farmers from Sirsa moved over to the other side after the police didn’t allow Punjab farmers to enter Haryana.