Against police’s Sec 144, farmers impose ‘Sec 288’

NEW DELHI: Taking a jibe at Delhi Police for imposing Section 144 at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border in Ghazipur, disallowing the gathering of more than three people, farmers at the spot on Monday said they had imposed “section 288” of their own.

Farmer leaders said 288 is symbolic and means the entry of anyone other than farmers in that area is restricted, and that police and farmers will not interfere in each other’s business.

The announcement came after police increased its presence at the Ghazipur border in the afternoon and placed concrete barricades when the situation heated up briefly as farmers started raising slogans against the new farm laws. There was no untoward and the groups were calmed down by their leaders.

Chaudhry Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union, who is camping at the Ghazipur border since Friday with hundreds of other farmers, said, “We’ve imposed 288, but it does not mean any disrespect to our country’s law. It is just symbolic and means that entry of anyone other than a farmer i n our protest is restricted. It is also to disallow anti-social elements from getting into our groups,” he said.

Tikait said hundreds of farmers at camping at the Ghazipur border from various parts of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. “We are peacefully protesting. We are in touch with other unions and farmer groups in Haryana and Punjab and our next move will be decided on December 3,” the leader said.

The farmers put up notices and wrote on the main Ghazipur Road, which is blocked, saying “section 288 of the Bhartiya Kisan Union is in effect here. No one apart from farmers are allowed here.”

Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force along with Central Armed Reserve Force and Delhi Police personnel in riot gear were deployed at the barricades to prevent the farmers from entering Delhi.

DCP (east) Jasmeet Singh said the gathering at Ghazipur has been peaceful since Friday. “At times, they did climb up the police barricades but were convinced to retreat by their farmer leaders. We have adequate deployment in place to ensure law and order,” Singh said. ingh said.