E-Paper
Bharat Bandh: No farmers to be allowed in Capital; Delhi Police tighten security
A police official familiar with the developments told news agency PTI that adequate security arrangements will be made to maintain the law and order situation in the Capital.
Ahead of the Bharat Bandh tomorrow, called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the Delhi Police said that it made adequate arrangement to ensure security in the Capital. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of all 40 farmers’ groups protesting against the Centre's three contentious farm laws, called for a Bharat Bandh on Monday. The farmers have been protesting for more than 10 months at Delhi’s borders against the farm laws passed by the government during the monsoon session in 2020
A police official familiar with the developments told news agency PTI that adequate security arrangements will be made to maintain the law and order situation in the Capital. “No protester will be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites at the city's borders,” the official said.
The official said that the police are ‘fully alert’ and there will be preventive security measures. “There is no call for 'Bharat Bandh' in Delhi, but we are watching the developments and an adequate number of personnel will be on the ground,” Delhi Police said. However, the Aam Aadmi Party has extended support to the Bharat Bandh call.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) also sought support from the political parties and asked them to stand with farmers. “As this historic struggle completes ten months, the SKM has called Monday to be observed as 'Bharat Bandh' against the anti-farmer government,” the farmers’ group said.
Leaders of the SKM appealed to citizens to make the bandh a ‘resounding success’. “In particular, we appeal to all organisations of workers, traders, transporters, businessmen, students, youth and women and all social movements to extend solidarity with the farmers that day,” the group said in a statement.
The SKM said that the bandh will be held for 10 hours and asked to halt work in all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as halt public events and functions all over the nation.
It, however, has exempted emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies.
Farmers from different parts of the country are expected to reach Delhi’s borders on Monday. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh are also expected to reach in larger numbers to extend support to those already protesting at Delhi borders since November last year.
(with inputs from PTI)
