Haryana Police Asks Farmers Not To Join ‘Delhi Chalo’ March, Chalks Out Plan To Thwart Protest

New Delhi: Haryana Police warned farmers, planning to participate in an upcoming march to Delhi, of strict action, and cautioned them against joining the agitation without official permission, news agency PTI reported. The message was sent out in notices to farmer organisations preparing for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation on February 13 in an effort to push for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations and a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).

In addition to a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP), the farmers have been demanding the adoption of the recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, the remission of agricultural debt, the dismissal of police charges, and “justice” for the victims of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Ambala SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa stated that as of Thursday, no farmer group had sought authorisation for the protest.

According to PTI, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) had declared that on February 13, farmers would march to Delhi to put pressure on the Centre to meet their demands. 

Randhawa added that legal action would be taken against anyone found taking part in the demonstration without authorisation in Haryana.

According to Randhawa, agitators would face harsh consequences under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act if they cause damage to property owned by the public. He also stated that government property losses would be made up for by attaching the assets and taking control of the demonstrators’ bank accounts, PTI reported.

According to the report, farmers have been warned by the police not to rent out their cars to other farmers, or else their vehicles will be seized and their registration will be cancelled. To prevent protestors from advancing towards Delhi, police have already stocked up on concrete blocks, barbed wire, sandbags, barricades, and other supplies at the Shambhu border in Ambala.