Delhi Police has heightened security at the city’s borders in anticipation of a farmers' march from Punjab, demanding legal guarantees for MSP and other agricultural reforms
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Delhi Police has heightened security across various border points in anticipation of a farmers' march to the national capital on Friday, December 6. The march, organised by Punjab farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, is aimed at voicing demands related to agricultural policies, particularly seeking a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of crops.
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A senior Delhi Police officer informed PTI that security has been reinforced at the city's border points, with a skeletal deployment already in place at the Singhu Border. However, the force is prepared to scale up security as needed, particularly around the Shambu Border on the Punjab-Haryana border. The officer further added that while there will be a limited police presence initially, this may increase depending on how the situation develops. With heightened security measures, traffic disruptions are anticipated, particularly at key border locations and in central Delhi, where significant roadblocks could occur.
Delhi Police is also monitoring the situation at the Noida border, where another group of farmers from Uttar Pradesh has been staging a sit-in protest. The farmers are primarily advocating for a legal framework ensuring MSP and other agricultural demands. Previous attempts by these farmers to enter Delhi in February 2023 were blocked by security forces at Shambhu and Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana borders, with police action preventing their entry.
According to PTI, the Ambala district administration in Haryana has recently urged the farmers to reconsider their plans to march into Delhi, advising them to seek approval from Delhi Police before proceeding. However, Delhi Police has not received any formal request from the farmers' groups, and no permission has been granted for the march at this stage. In response, the administration has invoked Section 163 of the BNSS to restrict the assembly of five or more people in the district, issuing notices at protest sites, especially near the Shambhu border.
The farmers' demands extend beyond MSP guarantees. They are also calling for debt waivers, pensions for farmers and farm workers, and a freeze on electricity tariff hikes. Additionally, they are seeking justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, and compensation for those farmers who lost their lives during the 2020-21 farmer protests. These issues continue to fuel the ongoing tensions and demands for reform within the agricultural sector.
As the situation develops, Delhi Police remains on high alert, with a firm focus on ensuring public safety and order during the protest. PTI reports indicate that the security arrangements are in place to deal with any eventualities, including possible clashes or disruptions. The farmers have promised that their march will remain peaceful and that they will avoid blocking traffic during the process.
This march is another chapter in the farmers' prolonged struggle for agricultural reforms, which has seen repeated protests over the past few years.
(With inputs from PTI)
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