Farmers Protest: Security Beefed Up At Delhi-Haryana Border Ahead Of Foot March Despite Prohibitory Orders

Despite prohibitory orders, farmers plan to march to Delhi from Shambhu border, leading to heightened security on the Delhi-Haryana border.

Security has been beefed up on the Delhi-Haryana border as farmers vow to march towards Delhi from the Shambhu border protest site despite prohibitory orders. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said a 'jatha' of 101 farmers will move towards Delhi from Shambhu Border at 1 pm on Friday. 

In view of the call for the protest march, the Ambala district administration issued an order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) restricting the unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the district. 

Police have multi-layer barricading on the Ambala-Delhi Border, and central paramilitary forces are deployed on the Haryana side of the border. 

On Wednesday, the Ambala district administration asked the farmers to reconsider their march and contemplate any action only after obtaining permission from Delhi Police. 

However, the farmer leader said, "... The march has entered its 297th day and the indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border has entered its 11th day. At 1 pm, a 'jatha' of 101 farmers will move towards Delhi from the Shambhu Border..."

"What the government will do is for them to decide. We will begin our march towards Delhi at 1 pm from the Shambhu border," he said, adding it will be a "moral victory" for the farmers if the government stops them from carrying out their march. 

"Their leaders at the Centre and in states have been regularly saying that if the farmers do not bring tractor-trolleys, there should be no objection. So if we go to Delhi on foot, there should be no reason to stop the farmers," he said.

The farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, when security forces stopped their march to Delhi. 

The farmers are seeking a legal guarantee for minimum support price of crops, farm debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases (against farmers), and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

They are also demanding reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the previous agitation in 2020-21.