Farmers camping on the Delhi-Jaipur national highway at Jaisinghpur Khera to protest against the new farm laws on Friday blocked the second carriageway of the Delhi-Jaipur national highway after Rewari police prevented them from crossing the border.
One carriageway of the Delhi-Jaipur national highway has been occupied by protesting farmers since December 13.
Protesting farmers had earlier announced that they would start proceeding towards Delhi on Friday, signalling their intent to further escalate the ongoing agitation. However, amid heavy police presence and barricading, farmers could not enter Haryana as planned.
Farmers from across the country have been protesting against the three new farm laws that were passed by the Centre in September this year. They fear that the new laws will put them at the mercy of corporations and put an end to the minimum support price MSP on important crops.
In order to join the farmers’ agitation in Delhi, farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat had started proceeding towards the national capital earlier this month, but were stopped by the Rewari police at the Haryana-Rajasthan border. Since then, they have been protesting at Jaisinghpur Khera, located near Shahjahanpur in Alwar district, at the Rajasthan-Haryana border, for the past 13 days. On Friday, over a thousand farmers from Maharashtra also reached Jaisinghpur Khera and joined the agitation.
“Hundreds of farmers from Maharashtra also reached here in the morning while we were preparing to march towards Delhi. When all the farmers started walking towards Delhi, the Haryana Police installed barricades on the other carriageway of NH-8 to prevent us from moving forward. In response, farmers are now peacefully camping on the other carriageway as well. We will sit here till the Haryana government allows us to move forward,” said Sanjay Madhav, member of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the state convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in Rajasthan.
{{/usCountry}}“Hundreds of farmers from Maharashtra also reached here in the morning while we were preparing to march towards Delhi. When all the farmers started walking towards Delhi, the Haryana Police installed barricades on the other carriageway of NH-8 to prevent us from moving forward. In response, farmers are now peacefully camping on the other carriageway as well. We will sit here till the Haryana government allows us to move forward,” said Sanjay Madhav, member of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the state convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in Rajasthan.
{{/usCountry}}Farmers said that they were going to Delhi in protest against the new laws in a peaceful manner, but the Haryana government was blocking their way. “Our aim has always been to reach Delhi. The Haryana government has been blocking our path. We will protest peacefully till we are allowed to move to Delhi,” said Madhav.
With both the carriageways of the national highway being blocked, the Gurugram police is diverting traffic headed towards Jaipur from Delhi at Bilaspur and Kapdiwas Chowk. The blocking of road also led to heavy congestion and the city police had to divert traffic to adjoining link roads from the national highway.
Usha Kundu, assistant commissioner of police (headquarters), said that the traffic movement was slowed down on expressway on Friday as both the carriageways near the Rewari border connecting to Rajasthan were blocked. “Protestors who wanted to head towards Delhi had gathered near the expressway,” said Kundu.
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