Farmers To Resume Delhi Chalo March Today After 'No Message' From Govt, Shambhu Border Barricaded

Farmers Protest: Protesting farmers are set to resume their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on Sunday after Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that they have not received any message from the central government for talks to address their issues.

Ahead of the protest, police put up barricades and installed nails at the Shambhu Border. Speaking on the protest at the Shambhu border, Pandher said that the protest has entered the 300th day, but the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government is still adamant. On Saturday, Pandhar said that the government is in no mood to hold talks and a group of 101 farmers will resume their march to Delhi on December 8.

On Friday, protesting farmers suspended their march to the national capital for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Pandher also said that since the government is not willing to talk, farmers will oppose the entry of BJP leaders in Punjab. "The protests of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) have entered the 300th day. But the central government is still adamant...Another big announcement we made was that we will oppose the entry of BJP leaders in Punjab. We are not sure, but we have heard that Saini (Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini) and Gadkari (Union Minister Nitin Gadkari) are going to Amritsar. We call out the farmers of Punjab to oppose their entry into the state," Pandher said.

The farmers have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). The Haryana Police has written to its Punjab counterpart asking it to ensure media personnel are stopped at a distance from the protest site for their safety as well as to ensure ease in maintaining law and order.

In Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border on Saturday, Pandher addressed reporters and said 16 farmers suffered injuries, and one of them lost hearing ability because of the teargas shelling by Haryana security personnel.

Except for four injured farmers, the rest of them have been discharged from the hospital, he said. "We have not received any message from the Centre for holding talks. The (Narendra) Modi government is in no mood to hold talks."

He further said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have already decided that a 'jatha' of 101 farmers will again march towards the national capital on Sunday noon in a peaceful manner.

As part of a call given by the farmer unions SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, a 'jatha' of 101 farmers began its march to Delhi on Friday from their protest site at the Shambhu border to press for their demands.

The 'jatha' was stopped by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Undeterred by prohibitory orders, the farmers attempted to force their way through the barricades but were stopped by security personnel who lobbed multiple tear gas shells to force them to go back to their protest site at Shambhu, which falls in Punjab.

(With agencies inputs)