NEW DELHI: The Delhi police on Thursday sealed all the borders connecting the neighbouring cities of Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida to stop farmers from entering the city. The All India Farmers Union had announced an all India protest march 'Dilli chalo' against the central government's farm law.
A day before the scheduled march, the Delhi police rejected permission for farmers unions from Punjab, Haryana, UP, Kerala and other states to hold the protest on 26th and 27th November.
However, on 26th morning braving the cold weather, thousands of farmers gathered on the Haryana, Noida and Ghaziabad borders to enter the national capital. Haryana police used water canons and tear gas on the protestors to stop them.
Backing the farmers, Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal said, "All three bills of the central government are against the farmers. Instead of withdrawing the bill, the peaceful protests by the famers are being stopped by using water cannons on them. Such an atrocity against them is very wrong. Conducting a peaceful protest is their constitutional right."
Meanwhile, a group of student activists from JNU, DU and AISA who went to join the farmers protest at Jantar Mantar were also detained by the Delhi police.
"AISA activists and JNU students who were on their way to join the protest at Jantar Mantar were illegally detained and taken into custody. On constitution day, Delhi police are acting unconstitutionally. Is speaking for farmers and workers a crime?" asked an AISA member.
Delhi police chief visits all border areas
Delhi Commissioner of Police (CP) SN Srivastava on Thursday visited all the border areas to check the security arrangments. He said the Delhi police have asked all the farmers organisations not to come to the national capital and follow the COVID-19 guidelines.
"We rejected permissions to all farmers organisations to held the protest in Delhi owing to the spike in COVID cases and the Disaster Management Authority's guidelines which have banned all kinds of public and political gatherings and have also asked them to follow the rules," said Srivastava.
"Despite the rules and our requests, they tried to enter. Delhi police have made all arrangements and deployed policemen on the Delhi-NCR borders to stop them. We are also in constant touch with the neighbouring state police about the situation there," he said.
He further added, "As they have crossed the Punjab and national highways, there would be some problems but we have made arrangements and will sort it out. We will also appeal to them to let the vehicles especially ambulances and essential commodities to cross the border and not break the guidelines."
Changes in Delhi Metro services
Further, to stop the protests, the Delhi police also asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to regulate metro services to avoid overcrowding in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DMRC services will be resumed early in the morning and will run till 2:00 PM in various lines.
On Line 1, there will be regular services from Rithala to Dilshad Garden & Major Mohit Sharma Rajendra Nagar to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda sections. No services will be available between Dilshad Garden to Major Mohit Sharma Rajender Nagar section of this line during this period.
On Line-2, the Yellow corridor, services from Sultanpur to Guru Dronacharya were closed. On the Blue Line, which connects both Noida and Ghaziabad, services were closed from Anand Vihar to Vaishali and New Ashok Nagar to Noida City Centre sections.
On the Green Line, Tikri Kalan to Brigadier Hoshiar Singh were closed and on the Red Line, Badarpur Border to Mewala Maharajpur section were closed.
"After 2:00 PM, train services will resume on all lines from end to end without loops in a regular manner," said a DMRC official.