Farmers Movement Archive

Barricades on one side of highway at Singhu border will be removed to create passage for services, say farmers

Farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders announced on Thursday that barricades on one side of the highway at Singhu border will be removed for easier passage of services. The decision was taken following a meeting with Haryana government officials, the farmers’ union said.In a statement released Thursday, Samyukta Kisan Morcha -- the umbrella group with 40 farmer unions running the agitation -- said it did not want to cause inconvenience to people.“Leaders of Samyukt Kisan Morcha had a detailed meeting with officials of the Haryana government this evening. In the meeting, it was decided that barricades on one side of the highway at Singhu border will be removed, to give free passage to oxygen tankers, ambulance and other such emergency services,” farmer leader Darshan Pal said.The comments came in the backdrop of several allegations on social media this week that the road blockades on account of farmer agitation were leading to a delay in the movement of oxygen tankers across the state borders. BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh tweeted on Tuesday night that due to the road blockade by protesters at the Ghazipur border, oxygen suppliers were facing difficulties in bringing the tankers to Delhi.“... It is the government that is to be squarely blamed for barricading the roads and obstructing free passage, whereas, at all protest sites, farmers have already left such passage for vehicular movement,” SKM said in a statement.The protesting farmers, however, on Thursday showed no signs of calling off the agitation. “A large convoy of protesters in tractor-trolleys will be leaving from Barwasni in Sonepat district of Haryana for the Singhu Border,” SKM said, adding that this was to ensure that government did not try to remove the farmers on the “pretext” of the Covid-19 surge.

Hindustan Times

23-04-2021

Delhi