Prohibitory orders in Ambala as farmers plan 'Dilli Chalo' march
The national capital is preparing for possible traffic disruptions as farmers from Punjab and Haryana are set to march to Parliament in a "Dilli Chalo" protest. The non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) organized the protest, which will begin at 1:00pm from the Shambhu border. The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, debt waivers, pensions, and other concessions.
Security tightened at Shambhu border, farmers demand legal MSP guarantee
In anticipation of the proposed protest, prohibitory orders have been issued in Ambala, Haryana, banning gatherings of five or more people. The move is aimed at preventing large gatherings and processions. Security has also been beefed up at the Shambhu border on NH-44 with additional police forces from both Haryana and Punjab. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13 after earlier attempts to march to Delhi were stopped by security forces.
Supreme Court comments on protests, farmer leader outlines march plans
The Supreme Court recently observed the protests, saying peaceful protests are a democratic right but shouldn't cause inconvenience to the public. "In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people," Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher clarified the march would be on foot, not tractors, as modified tractors led to this.
Farmers demand justice for Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims
The protest comes after stalled talks with the central government since February 18, despite previous discussions. Farmers are also demanding justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence and compensation to families of those who died during earlier protests in 2020-21. Earlier this week, a similar protest by farmers from Uttar Pradesh had caused severe traffic disruptions at the Noida-Delhi border. The Delhi Police are yet to receive any formal request about the current protest plans.
