Farmers' protests block Delhi borders as students stand in solidarity in city
Noida/New Delhi: Widespread protests by farmers were seen on Friday at border areas across Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad during a nationwide Bharat Band called against the three contentious agricultural legislation passed in Parliament. The farmers hit the streets and tried to block roads but with the presence of heavy police force, the situation remained under control. The protest was held under different banners of farmers' outfits including Bharatiya Kisan Union, All India Kisan Mahasangh and All India Farmers Union.
In Gautam Buddh Nagar, over a hundred members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) blocked the Delhi-Noida border at Noida-Greater Noida Expressway near Sector 14A on Friday morning. The farmers parked several tractors and cars at the Noida entry gate near the Chilla border area after police stopped them from entering Delhi while the traffic movement was completely stopped from both sides. The farmers sat on the road and started raising slogans against the government and demanded the legal guarantee of minimum support price. Noida police too intensified deployment along the border areas while the traffic was diverted to alternate routes.
Delhi Traffic Police said that the Chilla border had been closed for a couple of hours in the afternoon due to the protests. However, DCP (East) Jasmeet Singh said that no major disturbance was seen in Delhi.
"Heavy police force was deployed at the border while the traffic was diverted to DND flyway and Kalindi Kunj. The situation remained under control and police constantly remained on foot to keep a check on protesters," said Rajesh S, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida.
Similarly in Ghaziabad, protests were held at the UP- Delhi border, Bhopura border, Seemapuri border, Hapur Chungi and Modinagar areas. Heavy police force was pressed into action to maintain proper law and order while the senior officials including district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey and SSP Kalanidhi Naithani remained on their toes to oversee the arrangements. At some other places in Ghaziabad, members of political parties Congress, Samajwadi Party and RLD tried to join the protest and raised slogans against the government. However, police pacified them and some members of the Congress party were also detained by police from the Ghanta Ghar area in Ghaziabad.
Farmer leaders have said that the government's decision to abolish Mandis including the other two legislation passed in Parliament are against farmers. They said the protests will continue until they receive official communication from their counterparts who are on strike in Delhi.
Meanwhile, as the protests raged on across the country, student organisations like the Students Federation of India and the All India Students Association staged a protest in solidarity with farmers at Jantar Mantar on Friday. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in a statement said that the protests were a historic resistance with workers, students, women, youth, Dalits and people from all walks of life participating in the stir.
