Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will march towards Delhi on December 8 if the Union government does not engage in talks with them. They had suspended their 'Dilli Chalo' march yesterday, after some of the protesting farmers were allegedly injured in the tear gas shelling by security forces at the Punjab-Haryana border.
Speaking at the Shambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that a group of 101 farmers will march towards Delhi at noon if the Centre does not reach out to them by today.
Farmer leader Pandher accuses Haryana govt of "committing excesses against farmers"
Over a hundred farmers had begun their march on foot to Delhi at 1pm yesterday from their protest site raising several demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). But, they were stopped at the Shambhu border point, citing the prohibitory order by the Ambala administration under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
#WATCH | Police use tear gas to disperse protesting farmers at the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu Border.
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024
The farmers have announced to march towards the National Capital-Delhi over their various demands. pic.twitter.com/TQyigtUF6K
Despite the curbs, when the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades, the security forces used tear gas shells to disperse them. PTI reported that several farmers were seen uprooting iron nails and barbed wire installed on the road to deter them.
Pandher later said that at least eight farmers were injured due to the tear gas shells, including farmer leader Surjit Singh Phul. He said two of them were in critical condition.
#WATCH | Protesting farmers remove the barricades as they try to cross over the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border. pic.twitter.com/QJdpsfYKCj
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024
He slammed the Haryana government for "committing excesses against farmers". "We appeal to the government to either hold a dialogue with us or allow us to move to Delhi. They are behaving as if we are enemies from some other country. Punjabis and the farmers have made maximum sacrifices for the nation," Pandher said, and added that the "use of force" by Haryana security personnel "unwarranted".
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, said the BJP government has taken several steps for farmers' welfare. "We are procuring 100 per cent crops of farmers at MSP," he said.
