Farmers Movement Archive

Delhi Police starts removing barriers at Ghazipur

The Delhi Police on Friday began removing concrete barriers, concertina wires, and spikes from near the farmer agitation spot in Ghazipur (Delhi-Ghaziabad boder) and also from Tikri (Delhi-Haryana border) where they started the process on Thursday, so that vehicular movement may be restored at both border points that have remained closed for the past 11 months. However, it was not immediately clear when the border will be fully opened.Farmers, mainly from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have been camping in protest at the capital’s three border points of Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri since November last year.Leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella of around 40 farmer groups, said the removal of barricades by the police vindicated their stand that it was the police who blocked the movement of traffic at these key border points, and not farmers. The leaders said they will take a call on the next course of action only on November 6.“Police had fortified the protest sites by placing huge cement boulders, multiple layers of metal barricades, and sand trucks across the roads, apart from fixing spikes on the road. As part of the latest narrative that they are trying to spin, partial removal of these barricades has been taken up, ostensibly to impress the Supreme Court. SKM takes note of these development, and is watching the manoeuvres of the BJP government...,” said a statement issued by the group.On Friday, police said they have removed the barricades from NH-9 and NH-24 and were working with Ghaziabad police to restore traffic movement. DCP (east) Priyanka Kashyap said traffic movement will resume in the coming days. However, even after the removal of concrete barricades, restoring traffic to normal is unlikely as the main stage and several tents set up by farmers are still creating obstructions.“Delhi Police has taken an initiative towards restoring movement on the highway by removing barricades. We are in constant touch with farmers and have requested them to allow vehicular movement. If they try to move towards Delhi, we will deal with the situation as per procedure,” said Dependra Pathak, special commissioner of police (law and order, Zone 1)Farmers said they have allowed the movement of vehicles in the past as well and will continue to do so. Two farmer leaders from the Ghazipur site – Rakesh Tikait and Jagtar Singh Bajwa – said they will now move towards Delhi as the barricades have been lifted.When asked about their comments, a SKM member, requesting anonymity, said the next course of action will be decided at a meeting on November 6.“Farmers had already vacated one carriageway at the three protest sites for vehicular movement. Arrangements are being made to see that the one side is available to all commuters,” the member said.While the police began removing barricades from Tikri on Thursday, they started doing so in Ghazipur only on Friday morning. Farmers at the spot said police used earth movers to tear down concrete barriers, concertina wires, and spikes, all installed after the January 26 violence.The Supreme Court, on October 21, had observed that protesters cannot block public roads indefinitely and “some solution” should be worked out. The matter will be heard again on December 7.On Friday, most farmers in Ghazipur and Tikri said they were waiting for instructions from leaders. Jitender Singh, 32, a farmer at the Ghazipur site, said, “We hope we are able to take our voice to Delhi because that is what we came here for.”Farmer leader Bogh Singh Mansa, who has been leading the agitation in Tikri, said, “Not all barricades have been removed. The police are only facilitating removal of barricades because they want to have something to show the Supreme Court at the next hearing.”Delhi cop sacked for social media postMeanwhile, a Delhi Police constable was dismissed from the force on Wednesday for allegedly using social media to criticise the government’s handling of the farmers’ protest, police officers in the know of the matter said on Friday. The constable, posted at Sabzi Mandi police station, allegedly criticised Union ministers and the Prime Minister in his posts for their handling of the protest.DCP (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said, “After following due procedure of law, the constable has been dismissed under article 311(2) B of the Constitution.”

Hindustan Times

30-10-2021

Delhi