Tensions high as farmers defy UP govt ultimatum, assert they won't move

New Delhi/Ghaziabad: Tensions ran high at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border protest sites on Thursday as the Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and riot police appeared in large numbers in a show of force — attempting to clear out all protesters from the Capital's borders, which have been blocked for over two months now.

However, while the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and farmer leaders at the Tikri border continued to assert that they will not move from their places, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait — stationed at the Ghazipur protest site took centre-stage as he claimed authorities were planning to arrest him to kill him.

As Tikait broke down on the main stage while saying: "I will kill myself but not give up on the protests," farmers from all around Uttar Pradesh, who were hours ago removed by the police forcefully and with violence, rose up in support for their leader and resumed their demonstrations. Several such demonstrations were reported from areas such as Muzaffarnagar.

Tikait said: "I will not surrender before police and will face the bullet."

And as the farmers protesting at the DDA's Burari ground left for Singhu, about 30 of them reached, whereas about 15 were detained by the Delhi Police for their alleged role in the Republic Day violence in Delhi.

And given the Uttar Pradesh government's order to all District Magistrates asking them to vacate all protesters in 24 hours, still stands valid, while no violence was reported at Ghazipur till the time of writing this report, it is anticipated that things might go awry still.

Shailendra Kumar, ADM (city), Ghaziabad said that a notice has been served to them (farmers) under Section 133 of CrPC (conditional order for removal of a nuisance). The notice said if protesters do not act as per the order and immediately leave the protest site, they will be forcefully evacuated.

At Ghazipur, farmers also alleged that police had dismantled the CCTV cameras but when asked they said they were "just taking some footage from the CCTV."

And even as the Delhi Police said the farmers had lost their trust, police deployment went on overdrive all through Thursday, with protest sites at five border points — Lampur, Safiabad, Singhu school & Palla toll tax borders — being removed and the routes being reopened for traffic.

"We don't trust them anymore. We have seen trusting them on January 26 and they broke their NOC, principles. Now, we have increased the security to ensure no untoward incidents took place," a senior Delhi Police official told