Chakka jam on Feb 6 against net ban
Internet connectivity continued to be disrupted at all three borders with more farmers joining stir
NEW DELHI: Protesting farmer unions on Monday called for blocking all state and national highways for three hours on February 6 to protest against the suspension of internet and heavy barricading at agitation spots and to push for the repeal of three agriculture laws.
The decision came on a day Twitter withheld from Indian users 250 accounts that allegedly used a controversial hashtag, and reversed its decision hours later. Twitter’s move came in response to a central government order “to prevent an escalation of violence” in the backdrop of the farm agitation, people familiar with the matter said.
The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) issued the directions after the ministry of home affairs (MHA) stepped in. “The home ministry said the tweets could lead to an adverse law and order situation,” one of the people quoted above said.
Among accounts affected was that of farm body Kisan Ekta Morcha, media outlet Caravan, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar, activist Hansraj Meena, and CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim.
The protest sites have turned into fortresses with parked DTC buses, concrete barricades, and concertina wires. At Ghazipur, a portion of the road was studded with nails and at Singhu, workers hooked iron rods between two rows of cement barriers on the main highway.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have enhanced barricades at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur where thousands of farmers are protesting against three farm laws for over two months. While the iron spikes have been placed on the road leading to the main protest site at Tikri, besides heavy metal and concrete barriers, the police have created a wall at Singhu and Ghazipur by pouring concrete between two rows of cement barricades.
The measures were taken in the aftermath of clashes between the police and the protesters when the farmers during a tractor rally on Republic Day went beyond the routes approved by the police by breaking barriers and barricades placed on the roads.
The internet connectivity continued to be disrupted at all the three borders on Monday even as more farmers from Haryana and Punjab joined the protest.
At Tikri, on the road towards Delhi, the police have overall set up a five-layer security system which begins right behind the main stage at the protest site. The first obstruction consists of two layers of iron barricades. After that, the police have joined rows of cement barricades by filling the space between them with concrete. Beyond that, the police have dug up the road and installed iron spikes. Then, there are large trailers and dumpers serving as the fourth layer. And finally, a set of iron barricades forms the fifth layer of hurdles.
“This is one of the many measures being taken to instil confidence among the Delhiites and to reiterate our commitment to ensure the safety of life and property of citizens,” said A Koan, deputy commissioner of police (outer), when asked about the iron spikes on the road.
The protest site at Singhu border also has five layers of barricades with the first one nearly 1.5 km away from the main protest site. Only police vehicles were allowed beyond this point and locals as well as media personnel were only allowed on foot after stating their purpose of visit. Most of the locals were not allowed to enter unless they had an emergency.
On Monday, police officials were seen supervising the installation of concrete barricades with a cement mixer pouring concrete between two layers of barricading near the main stage area. The two layers were also joined with iron rods in between them to strengthen the barricading further. Containers at the spot have also been used to store concrete barriers. Several routes leading to the protest site were either barricaded, closed using concertina wires, or dug up restricting farmers’ movement.