NEW DELHI: With protesting farmers from Punjab assembling at the Delhi-Haryana borders on Thursday morning, the police in the national capital stepped up security and put barricades at several places. The police said they have denied the requests from the farmers’ groups to hold protests in Delhi.
Delhi Police in coordination with the Haryana Police was seen checking vehicles entering the capital, and have put even cemented barricades and sand trucks to stop the protesting farmers who are marching towards Delhi in large numbers in their tractors and trolleys.
Senior police officers have been supervising the security arrangements specially at the Singhu border, Faridabad and Gurugram borders.
“Security on both sides of the Tikri Border was reinforced in coordination with the Haryana Police to prevent any untoward incident in the wake of ongoing farmer’s agitation and Covid-19,” said DCP Outer Dr. A.Koan.
The Delhi Police have already rejected the protest requests from the farmers citing the coronavirus pandemic.
“All the requests received from the various farmer organisations regarding protest in Delhi on 26 and 27 November have been rejected and this has already been communicated to the organisers,” Eish Singhal, Delhi Police PRO said.
The Delhi Police requested the farmers to cooperate with them in ensuring no gathering in Delhi amid coronavirus, failing which legal action will be initiated as per the law.
There is also a heavy deployment at the Ghazipur border, DND and Chilla too as a preventive measure. Several routes have also been diverted by the Delhi traffic police.
“All motorists are hereby advised to avoid Delhi Borders in view of the protest march called by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee on 26 & 27 November against the Central Government’s Farm Laws,” the Delhi traffic police tweeted.
The farmers were undeterred even as the Haryana Police set up road barricades and diversions on the highways to prevent them from reaching the national capital as part of their “Delhi Chalo” march. The farmers have also threatened to block all roads to Delhi if authorities stopped them during their march.
In view of a planned protest march by the farmers against the new farm laws of the Centre, the Delhi metro services in some areas have been curtailed till 2 p.m.