Delhi borders to be emptied after nearly two months? Major stir at Singhu and Ghazipur farmers' protest sites

Farmers have been camping at the border areas of the national capital for almost two months as part of their protest against Centre`s three agriculture laws. Meanwhile, security has been heightened at the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) after the violence broke out during a tractor rally in various parts of the national capital on Republic Day.

Protesting farmers did not follow the marked route for their tractor march on Republic Day and forcibly entered central Delhi by removing police barricades. They clashed with the police and also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts. Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the protestors, while one farmer died after his tractor overturned at ITO. 

Singhu border: The government has taken a tough stand after the violence during the tractor parade of farmers on January 26 (Republic Day). The deployment of police has been increased at all the picket sites of farmers including the Singhu border and Ghazipur border. Police and agitators have come face-to-face on the Singhu border. RAF personnel have also been deployed on the Singhu border. Police have started removing barricades with the help of cranes. They were used to remove concrete blocks from the road and two cranes are at work. There is heavy deployment of police at the site.

#WATCH: Delhi Police has deployed a JCB machine to dig a road at Singhu border that connects Delhi to Haryana. pic.twitter.com/3T8SaWTlZR — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021

Heavy Police presence seen at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) as they attempt to barricade a portion of the road in order to restrict the protesters from coming to one side of the road from the other side. The protesters are opposing the barricading being done by Police. pic.twitter.com/d3Yjx7snXk

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021

Locals raise slogans to vacate Singhu border: As per news agency ANI, a group of people claiming to be locals of the Singhu border gathered and raised slogans, demanding the area to be vacated. People were raising slogans including 'will not tolerate tricolour`s insult', 'vacate Singhu border', 'Delhi Police we are with you' and 'Khalistan murdabad'. At the Singhu border point, a 'sadbhawana march' was taken out by protesting farmer unions.

#WATCH | Delhi: Group of people claiming to be locals gather at Singhu border demanding that the area be vacated.

Farmers have been camping at the site as part of their protest against #FarmLaws. pic.twitter.com/7jCjY0ME9Z — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021

Flag march of police on Ghazipur border: The police force has also been increased at the Ghazipur border and the police is conducting flag march at the border. According to information received from sources, the facilities being provided by the Municipal Corporation at Ghazipur border have been removed. The facilities that were provided include sweepers, water facilities, and restrooms. Now only two toilets have been kept.

Uttar Pradesh Police personnel conduct a flag march at the Ghazipur border

Visuals from the border area pic.twitter.com/NzLqWyFawI — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 28, 2021

Delhi Police: Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava said held a meeting with the special commissioner of police (Intelligence) and other senior police officers at the police headquarters. In a written message to Delhi Police personnel on Thursday, Shrivastava said that coming days can be more challenging and they will have to be alert. "You have shown great patience despite the farmers' agitation turning violent...394 of our friends have been injured in the violence during the farmers' agitation," he said in his message.

"The Delhi Police has issued lookout notices against farmer leaders named in an FIR in connection with the violence during the tractor parade," said the police commissioner. Police have named 37 farmer leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, in the FIR that mentioned charges of attempt to murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy. Other farmer leaders who have been listed in the FIR are Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chanduni, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Satnam Singh Pannu, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Surjeet Singh Phool, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Harinder Singh Lakhoval.

Ghaziabad District Administration has ordered those who are holding the sit-in protest without permission at Ghazipur border (Delhi-Ghaziabad border) to vacate the area by late evening today: Official Sources — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 28, 2021

Delhi Police has registered a sedition case in connection with the violence at Red Fort during a tractor parade by farmers on Republic Day, officials said on Thursday. According to a senior police officer, a case under section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered and the incident is being investigated. Earlier, Delhi Police had named actor Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in an FIR lodged in connection with the Red Fort incident.

Farmer unions: Those protesting against the three farm laws alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the violence, which left 394 police personnel injured and one protestor dead.

Delhi: Latest visuals from Ghazipur border where farmers are protesting against #FarmLaws. pic.twitter.com/SkmcsquBZk — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021

Thousands of protesting farmers, who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border, had clashed with the police on January 26. Many of them, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some protestors even hoisted flags on the domes and placed the flagstaff at the ramparts of the national monument, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

#WATCH: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait says that farmers will head to the local Police stations around Ghazipur border if the electricity is cut in the area, warns that the onus of what happens next would lie on the govt. (27.01.2021) pic.twitter.com/tFeDPkoSth — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021

Meanwhile, Delhi border points remained under heavy police deployment on Thursday in the aftermath of the violence. Security personnel have also been deployed at the Red Fort. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points, demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws.

At least 19 people have so far been arrested and over 25 criminal cases registered by Delhi Police in connection with the violence. 394 police personnel sustained injuries in the violence and several of them are still admitted to hospitals. Some of them are admitted to ICU wards, informed Police Commissioner (CP) SN Shrivastava.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.