Farmers Movement Archive

Protests remain peaceful, police seal Bhopal borders

BHOPAL: Police maintained a strict vigil across the city on Tuesday in wake of the Bharat Bandh call over ongoing farmer protest and did not allow any suspicious movement into the city. Barring a few minor protests at some markets and traffic squares, the city remained by and large peaceful and markets remained open throughout the day. In addition to the police force of around 2200 deployed at around 150 chekpoints in the city and outskirts, police patrolling teams and senior police officers conducted strict vigil throughout the day. Despite the tight security arrangements, a group of farmers from Raisen and Vidisha along with local farmers managed to reach Chunabhatti trisection and staged a sit-in under the banner of Rashtriya Kisan Majdur Sangathan. The farmers claimed that several farmers on board the tractors heading for the dharna site were stopped at check posts by cops and not allowed to enter the city. Some of them used bikes to dodge the cops. Meanwhile, members of the Sikh community gathered at Board Office square and took out a march till Jyoti Talkies Square in the morning protesting the new farm laws. They tried to force a sweet shop in MP Nagar Zone-1 to close, but police stopped and counselled them not to force any shopkeeper. ASP (Zone-1) Rajat Saklecha said that only one case was registered in connection with the farmers protest at Arera Hills police station. Police were talking with the farmers sitting on protest at Chunabhatti and counselling them to leave. DIG Irshad Wali said that police were monitoring the situation minutely and no major protest were witnessed in the state capital.

The Times of India

2020-12-09

Bhopal