Haryana Police on Wednesday issued a stern warning to the owners and operators of poclains and JCBs that have been brought by the farmers to restart their Delhi March. Farmers' Delhi March will restart at around 11 am on Wednesday after the farmer union leaders rejected the Centre's proposal to buy a variety of crops on MSP. The farmers are seeking price guarantees for 23 crops, traveled toward the Indian capital last week demanding that the government fulfills that promise, made at the end of the 2021 protest. After multiple rounds of talks, the central government offered to guarantee minimum prices on a small number of crops, including pulses. Growers had temporarily halted their protests to consider the proposal. With the Delhi march all set to start, the situation in Punjab, Haryana, and New Delhi is expected to be tense.
For instance, on Tuesday multiple videos surfaced on social media where farmers were seen bringing earthmoving vehicles like JCBs and poclains. As a result, the Haryana Police on Wednesday issued a warning to owners and operators of JCBs and Poclains. Haryana Police on X wrote, "Owners and operators of Poclains,JCBs: Pls do not provide the services of ur equipment to the protestors. Pl withdraw these machines from the protest site. These machines may be used to cause harm to security forces,it's a non bailable offence and you may be held criminally liable."
Farmers Protest 2024 Update
Around 14,000 farmers have assembled at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border, as per government estimates reported by a newswire. Farmers are utilising 1,200 tractor trolleys, 300 cars, and 10 mini-buses to make their way to Delhi. Additionally, the Home Ministry estimates that 4,500 protesters with 500 tractors were gathered at the Dhabi-Gujran border point.
In a letter to the Punjab government, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has expressed concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state, attributing it to miscreants posing as farmers. It said that these “miscreants” have engaged in stone-pelting and brought along heavy machinery, like bulldozers and earthmovers, to the Shambhu border with Haryana.
Notably, Haryana Police have also written to Punjab Police to seize all earthmoving vehicles. As a result, a clash between Punjab Police and Farmers at Shambhu Border was reported on Wednesday morning. SHO Inspector Amanpal Singh Virk and Mohali SP Jagvinder Singh Cheema were injured. Currently, both were admitted to the hospital. Police set up barricades 5 kilometers before the Shambhu border on orders of the Punjab DGP; Police stopped farmers from bringing heavy machinery like JCBs and forklifts towards the Shambhu border.