Farmers Protest: Tear Gas Fired At Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border (Screen grab: X/@akashgill78)
The protesting farmers have started their march towards Delhi. The police have fired tear gas shells to disperse farmers at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border. Farmers began the march following inconclusive marathon talks with the Union ministers on their demands.
According to a Times of India report, police used tear gas when farmers tried to break barricades set up at the Shambhu border. As per the report, the police also used a drone later on to drop a teargas shell.
Security measures have been tightened at the Delhi borders and neighbouring states amid the protest. The Hindustan Times reported that concrete slabs and barbed wires have been placed on borders, and nails have been laid on the roads to restrict the entry of protesters. In addition to the deployment of security personnel, the Delhi Police has also imposed a month-long ban on large gatherings.
Thousands of farmers are marching towards the national capital to press the central government to accept their demands. The demands include a statutory guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops. It will be crucial for the BJP-led NDA government, as the protest emerged just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Notably, the negotiations between the farmer leaders and two Central ministers failed on Monday. Union food minister Piyush Goyal and agriculture minister Arjun Munda represented the government in the meeting. Farmer leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, were also present in the meeting. The demands to the Minimum Support Price for all crops, farmer loan waivers, and the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations remained unresolved in the meeting.
