Additional police forces deployed at protest sites, farmers fear eviction

The farmers said the sudden stoppage of the power supply triggered panic at the Ghazipur protest venue, and they spent a sleepless night guarding their tractors, trollies, and tents

Agitating farmers on Thursday accused the government of trying to intimidate them and feared force could be used to evict them amid heavy police deployment at Singhu and Ghazipur farmer protest sites.

Police personnel arrive at Ghazipur border to hang notices for farmer leaders after FIRs were registered against them in connection with the Republic Day violence, during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi, Thursday. (PTI)

Additional personnel from the Uttar Pradesh police and Rapid Action Force wearing anti-riot gear and carrying sticks, firearms, and tear gas have been deployed at Ghazipur since Wednesday night. Farmers said the power supply was disconnected around 8 pm on Wednesday while the water tankers for them, too, were stopped on Thursday morning.

The farmers said the sudden stoppage of the power supply triggered panic at the Ghazipur protest venue, and they spent a sleepless night guarding their tractors, trollies, and tents. They added they had to switch on the headlights of their tractors and lit bonfires to keep themselves warm as nobody was able to sleep inside the tents or trollies throughout the night.

“The administration is trying to intimidate us by disconnecting power and water supply at the Ghazipur protest venue. Many representatives of police and intelligence wing are here. If they have anything to tell us, if they want to evict us from here, they should come and talk to us. If the government wants to talk to us, we are ready for it. The solution can only be through dialogues and not by bullets and sticks. We will not leave the protest venue even if the police administration use force on us,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait while addressing the gathering of farmers.