14,000 people, 1,200 tractors at border: MHA urges Punjab govt to act

The Centre has estimated that nearly 14,000 people have gathered along the Punjab-Haryana border with 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses as well as small vehicles, and conveyed its strong objections to the Punjab government for it, sources said on Tuesday (February 20), a day before the scheduled resumption of the farmers’ “Delhi Chalo” march.

In a communication to the Punjab government, the Union Home Ministry also said that the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state has been a matter of concern over the last few days and asked it to take stringent action against lawbreakers.

The home ministry said many miscreants in the guise of farmers were pelting security forces with stones and mobilising heavy machinery along the Shambhu on Punjab’s border with Haryana.

Haryana DGP’s letter

Haryana Police has also urged its Punjab counterparts to seize bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment from the interstate border which they say protesters will use to break barricades. These could pose a threat to the security forces deployed at the border, Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapoor said in an urgent communication to his Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav.

Later, in a communication to senior police officers, the Punjab DGP said that no excavators and other heavy earthmoving equipment should be allowed to reach Khanauri and Shambu border points, as inputs indicate that the protesters plan to break barricades and enter Haryana.

March to resume from today

Protesting farmers have been staying put at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces, leading to clashes last week.

Farmer leaders taking part in agitation on Monday rejected the Centre’s proposal of procuring pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in farmers’ interest and announced that they will march towards the national capital on Wednesday. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the march.

Deterioration in law and order

The reports prepared by central security agencies say that nearly 14,000 people have been allowed to gather at the Shambhu barrier on Rajpura-Ambala Road, with nearly 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses and other small vehicles, the home ministry said.

Similarly, Punjab has allowed a gathering of around 4,500 people with close to 500 tractor-trolleys at the Dhabi-Gujran barrier, it claimed. The home ministry also said that as per reports, the court has asked the Punjab government to ensure that protestors do not gather in large numbers, especially raising serious objections on the use of tractor-trolleys, JCBs and other heavy equipment on highways.

As per reports from central security agencies, there has been a marked deterioration in the law-and-order machinery in Punjab in handling the recent agitation by a few groups of farmers protesting in the state, the home ministry told the Punjab government, asking it to take action on it.

Request to warn owners

Haryana Police also requested its Punjab counterparts to strictly warn the owners or operators of such equipment to not provide their equipment to the protesting farmers as this would “amount to a criminal act and they would be criminally liable for the same”.

“The matter may be dealt (with) on top priority being matter of utmost urgency,” the Haryana DGP’s letter stated.

In his communication to Punjab Police officers, DGP Yadav said keeping in view the implications on the law-and-order situation, it is directed that all range ADGPs, IGPs, DIGs, police commissioners and SSPs take immediate steps to stop the movement of “JCBs, proclaines (diggers), tippers (heavy trucks), hydras and other heavy earthmoving equipment towards the Haryana-Punjab border at Khanauri and Shambhu by laying ‘nakas’, conducting patrolling and (taking) other required steps”.

(With agency inputs)