Delhi, its borders fortified ahead of farmers’ chakka jam today
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait assures that protesters won’t enter Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
NEW DELHI: In a bid to avoid the repeat of the clashes and violence that erupted on Republic Day, security measures have been stepped up and additional forces have been deployed in Delhi and in its borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as the protesting farmers’ unions, who remain firm on their demand for the repeal of the contentious agricultural laws, have called for a nationwide chakka jam on Saturday blocking all roads around the country.
On Friday, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava held a meeting on the proposed blockade and discussed the security situation in the city with senior police officials. He also met Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss the same.
“Agitating farmers have proposed ‘chakka jam’ tomorrow. In view of the violence that happened on January 26, Delhi Police have made adequate security arrangements at borders so that miscreants cannot enter the national capital”, Delhi Police Public Relations Officer, Chinmoy Biswal, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has, however, assured that the three-hour nationwide protest on Saturday will be peaceful and will not be held in the national capital, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Barring Delhi, the blockade is expected to take place in other parts of the National Capital Region, which comprises parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, and the rest of country including the southern states.
“We are monitoring content on social media to make sure rumours are not spread against
Police or other things. The protestors are camping at the borders of Delhi. We are in touch with Police Force of other states too,” Biswal said.
Another senior police officer from east district of Delhi Police said as a precautionary measure, iron nails studded on the roads have also been repositioned behind the barricades at the Ghazipur border, another protest site.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Yadav said, “According to the protesting farmers, they will not enter the national capital, but still as a precautionary measure, we have made adequate security arrangements to maintain law and order. Adequate police presence will be in place at all important points and junctions across the district. There will additional deployment of pickets at all the border points. All vehicles will be checked thoroughly at the entry and exit points of pickets and borders. Additional buses have already been taken and extra barricades are being put up at the picket points across the city.” The Centre had already conveyed to Delhi Police that additional central paramilitary forces are on standby if required.
Currently over 60 companies (6,000 personnel) of central paramilitary forces are assisting Delhi Police at the borders.
The protests, which have been ongoing since November 27, took a violent turn in the national capital on Republic Day during which hundreds of people, including police personnel and civilians, were injured and one protestor died after his speeding tractor overturned.
In Haryana, senior police officers have been asked to personally supervise security and traffic arrangements at vital junctions and roads while district police chiefs have been directed to ensure the deployment of adequate personnel, according to an official communication issued to them.
“In view of the January 26 incidents in Delhi, some anti-social elements and aggressive youth creating law and order problems, cannot be ruled out,” as per the communication dated February 4, news agency PTI reported.
“It is assessed that as part of the protest programme on February 6, protesting farmers/ unions may attempt road blockades of important national highways, state highways and interior roads,” it said.
Tikait said that farmers would provide food and water to the people who will be stuck due to ‘chakka jam’. Farm leaders said cultivators camping at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders, and those who will join them by Friday, will carry out the chakka jam at their respective venues.
Meanwhile, Mo Dhaliwal, the founder of the Vancouver-based Poetic Justice Foundation that created the controversial ‘toolkit’ tweeted by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, is looking to use the farm protests in India to fuel the separatist Khalistani movement, according to a police officer probing attempts to fan the separatist movement under the garb of the agitation.