Kisan March: Police use tear gas, lathicharge protesters
New Delhi: It was an unprecedented scene on NH 24, Delhi-Merrut Expressway as thousands of farmers on march to Delhi were seen protesting against the government. To stop their march, heavy security arrangements were made besides blocking of entry-exit roads. To control the situation, tear gas and water canons were used by the police. Police also lathicharged the protesters entering the city defying prohibitory orders. Amid police action, reports of injury of scores of protesters came in. The demonstration also led to massive jam on highways and arterial routes since morning and to avoid the jam, commuters were forced either to return back or to travel long to reach their destinations.
"Both the carriageway of NH 24 and arterial routes at Gazipur Border and UP Gate witnessed traffic chaos throughout the day as demonstrators refused to relent. Motorists coming from Ghaziabad side and vice-versa are advised to use Kondli Bridge or Road leading towards Anand Vihar/GT Road," claimed the commuters.
The farmers have been protesting as part of their "Kisan Kranti Padyatra" to demand loan waiver, subsidised electricity and fuel, pension for farmers above 60 and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The yatra began from Tikait Ghat in Haridwar on September 23 and farmers from places as far as Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the sugarcane belt of western UP joined the agitation. "We had a discussion on 11 points. The government agreed on seven and didn't agree on the rest. They said they will discuss those points and get back to us, as if it is a financial matter," Yudhvir Singh of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said.
"Delhi Police had made adequate arrangements to deal with the BKU and other farmer activists since information was received that they would attempt to enter Delhi in large numbers along with tractor-trolleys as passenger carriers which are banned in Delhi as per Supreme Court directions. Since morning, they gathered at Ghazipur border between Delhi and Ghaziabad in several thousands," the police said.
"Despite requesting to wait till the outcome of the talks of their leaders with the Government, a section of the crowd suddenly turned violent and tried to break the barricades forcefully through tractor-trolleys and were also carrying lathis. Tractor-trolleys were used to break down three layers of strong barricading. Under these circumstances, only the minimum required force was used to stop them," the police added.
