Farmers Movement Archive

Farm bills row: Cops use water cannons on protesters in Panipat, Ambala

The Haryana police on Wednesday used water cannons in Panipat and Ambala on agitators to stop them from proceeding to Delhi to protest against the Centre’s farm bills. In Panipat, the police used water cannons at a Haryana Youth Congress-led tractor rally while in Ambala, it used them on Punjab Lok Insaf Party-led motorcycle rally, trying to enter the state on their way to Delhi. While the Haryana Youth Congress activists dispersed after facing water cannons in Panipat, Punjab’s Lok Insaf Party workers sat on the road on the inter-state border near Shambhu village in Ambala. In Panipat, the protest was led by Youth Congress state president Sachin Kundu and Congress’ Samalkha MLA Dharm Singh Chhokar. The Congress workers had gathered at the Panipat grain market and decided to take out the protest march on tractors towards Delhi. However, police put up barricades to stop them on NH 44 near Samalkha. Police personnel used mild force and water cannons to stop the protesters from crossing over the barricades. The traffic was also disrupted on the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway and had to be diverted to the link roads. Panipat deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Satish Vats said the protesters tried to break through the barricades and police had to use water cannons to disperse them. He said no FIRs have been registered so far and the detained protesters have been released.While addressing the gathering, Kundu accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre of imposing the anti-farmers laws. He said the new laws will affect the old mandi-system and end the MSP regime. He also slammed the Haryana government for using police force to suppress the voice of farmers and opposition parties. In Ambala, district magistrate Ashok Kumar Sharma had imposed Section 144 in order to maintain law and order in the morning. However, LIP workers, including founding member Simarjeet Singh Bains, tried to enter Haryana through the river basin of the Ghagger under the overbridge. “We want to raise our voice against the anti-farmer bills,” Simarjeet Singh Bains told reporters at the Shambhu border. Police had to use water cannons as the workers tried to cross the barricades put up at the inter-state border on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway. Despite facing water cannons, the LIP workers sat on the road after being denied permission for movement of a large group of protesters due to the restrictions in place amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ambala Range inspector general of police Y Puran Kumar said, “Police used water cannon to disperse the crowd as the workers tried to break the barricades. Later, when some of them tried to enter through the river basin, they were stopped and asked to go back. After some discussions, they retreated and the protests ended at around 6:10 pm.”He said, “Other than following Covid-19 protocols, we could not allow them to enter Haryana because they didn’t have any permission to take out a procession of nearly 400 two-wheelers and 100 four-wheelers. Such a huge procession would have created heavy traffic jams on the highway.”

Hindustan Times

23-09-2020

City