Farmers Movement Archive

BKU supporters to camp at UP Gate to decide on next course of action

Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), led by their leader Rakesh Tikait, broke police barricades at the UP Gate border with East Delhi on Saturday afternoon and later decided to make a night stay below the UP Gate flyover in Ghaziabad. However, the gathering of farmers on Saturday was estimated at about 500 as against the mammoth gathering, observed in October 2018, during the Kisan Kranti Yatra at the same venue. The BKU members said that on Saturday, they broke the barricades put up at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border at the UP Gate in order to enter Delhi. There was hardly any resistance put up by the Ghaziabad Police. Later, BKU members decided to return to UP Gate flyover area in Ghaziabad to stay for the night. “After breaking the barriers, we took our vehicles up to the Ghazipur area where the Delhi Police had deployed dumpers. So, we returned back to the UP Gate. We have decided that we will make a night stay below the UP Gate flyover as we decide on the strategy to enter the national Capital,” said Rajvir Singh, state vice-president, BKU. The area below the UP Gate flyover is the same site where the BKU members and farmers on October 2, 2018, had clashed with the Delhi Police while trying to enter Delhi over their 15-point agenda, including a demand of a blanket loan waiver, revoking NGT’s ban on 10-year-old diesel run tractors in NCR, reduction in electricity tariff, implementation of MS Swaminathan Commission recommendation on remunerative prices and payment of sugarcane arrears, among othersOn Saturday morning, the Ghaziabad Police had made arrangement for a large-scale deployment of police personnel at the UP Gate and also at Delhi-Meerut Road, from where the BKU groups entered Ghaziabad district from Meerut in a bid to reach Delhi as part of ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest. “There was no untoward incident at the UP Gate and the farmers have opted for a sit-in below the UP Gate flyover. They have planned to stay for the night. In view of this, we have decided to divert traffic. Commuters coming from Mohan Nagar will not be allowed to take a left turn towards UP Gate. Instead, they will have to go to Kaushambi from where they can enter Delhi,” said Gyanendra Singh, superintendent of police, City 2. . “The commuters travelling on NH-9 will also not be allowed to come down to the UP Gate flyover. Instead, all vehicles will be diverted over the flyover. This arrangement will be in place till farmers continue their protest at UP Gate,” he added. Traffic congestion on Delhi-Meerut RoadDelhi-Meerut Road witnessed congestion on Saturday afternoon as traffic from Ghaziabad moving towards Meerut was diverted to the Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) Road, instead of being allowed to go straight to Modinagar and Meerut as a precautionary measure. “We were stranded for over an hour at Muradnagar as traffic was moving at slow pace. The other side of the Delhi-Meerut Road was without any traffic and cops were using it for letting the farmers move towards the UP Gate,” said Arun Tyagi, a commuter from Modinagar. The cops said that the traffic was diverted to the UGC Road in wake of procession of the farmers coming in from Meerut. “The BKU members and their supporters were diverted towards the UP Gate.Traffic on the other side was also diverted towards the UGC Road. The diversion only lasted for about two hours after which traffic normalised. The farmers had an estimated strength of about 400 to 500 and were moving in 40 to 50 vehicles,” said Neeraj Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural). The farmers reached the UP Gate by about 3.30pm, where they decided to camp for the night. “We will sit here and decide on our next course of action.The barrier will now be removed and people will be able to go smoothly to Delhi. There were no discussions with farmers over the issue of minimum support price. If need be, we will go to Delhi and witness the Republic Day on January 26,” Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of BKU, told reporters at UP Gate. Meanwhile in Gautam Budh Nagar, another group of farmers trying to go to Delhi was intercepted at the Yamuna Expressway on Saturday afternoon.“They were stopped near Jewar, after which they camped at the side of the Expressway. There wasn’t any traffic disruption and it was a peaceful gathering. No police action was needed,” said additional deputy commissioner of police, Zone 3, Vishal Pandey.The farmers dispersed after handing over their memorandum to the police and administration officials. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and parts of western UP have been trying to enter Delhi in a bid to raise voice against the farmer’s bill and the minimum support price system.

Hindustan Times

28-11-2020

Noida