Bharat Bandh: Delhi Police on high alert, security beefed up

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Delhi Police is on high alert and security has been tightened in the national capital in view of the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), officials said on Friday.

Traffic may be affected in the national capital with barricades put up in several areas, according to police.

The SKM has called for the 'Bharat Bandh' to press the BJP-led central government to accept farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Farmers from Punjab began their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Delhi and Haryana.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the border points ever since. Their agitation entered the fourth day on Friday.

The two border points between Delhi and Haryana remained closed for traffic with heavy deployment of security personnel in anti-riot gear.

Due to border closure, commuters have been facing difficulties in passing through certain stretches.

Traffic movement is allowed at the Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi Police is keeping an extra vigil and has put up barricades in the central part of the city leading to the Parliament and other sensitive locations, the police officials said.

In view of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the SKM, Delhi Police is on high alert, a police official said.

A senior police officer said traffic movement in the city may be affected due to the bandh.

A marathon meeting between three Union ministers and leaders of protesting farmer unions on Thursday night remained inconclusive. The two sides will now meet for the fourth round of talks on Sunday.

The farmer leaders said they will stay put at the two border points between Punjab and Haryana.

There is heavy security deployment at Singhu and Tikri borders. Multiple layers of barricades, barbed wires and concrete blocks have been put up to stop the farmers from entering the national capital.

GT Karnal Road near Mukarba Chowk witnessed heavy traffic on the first three days of the protest as police put up barricades and cement blocks on the road.

Delhi Police has deployed drones to keep an eye on the situation at the Singhu border and ordered more than 30,000 teargas shells from the Border Security Force's (BSF) Tear Smoke Unit.

Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21. PTI